Odia community of Nagpur celebrates Boita Bandana festival with traditional fervour

Nagpur: The popular water bodies of Organa City Nagpur including the Thakur Talao, Ambazari, Telengkhedi, Jhilpi etc saw a different morning on the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima, wherein hundreds of Prabashi Odias gathered to celebrate the popular Boita Bandana festival (floating boats ritual). However the focus was on the Defence Colony Thakur Talao, where hundreds of men, women and children since the wee hours gathered to float miniature boats made from banana stems, paper and cloth with lighted earthen lamps, betel leaves and nuts. The gathering included Prabashi Odias from Ordinance Factory Ambajhari, neighbouring areas like MIDC Hingna, community members of Utkal Samaj Welfare Society, all of whom participated in large numbers.The Odias commemorated the 2,500-year-old history of Odia maritime trade on the Bay of Bengal.Boita Bandana festival celebrate Odisha's maritime history and the ancient trade routes of the Odia mariners (Sadhabas) who set on a sail to distant lands like far off places including Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali etc, on boitas (wooden ships) for trade and cultural exchange.The sailors used to complete their trip in 180 days from Cuttack to Bali in Indonesia. The onward journey to Bali would be completed by mid-January and the return journey started in mid-March, when the climatic conditions favoured sea voyages, taking advantage of the monsoons.The Odia community after the celebrations joined the traditional Odia Habisha at Nagoba Mandir MIDC and Jagannath Temple in the evening.
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