Report by Kahnu Nanda; Jagatsinghpur: The immensely popular open air festival Kalinga Baliyatra from November 22 to 28 held in Paradip sea shore at Biju Maidan ended on Wednesday night. Organized by Kalinga Baliyatra committee under patronage of district council of culture several industrial houses including many cultural affectionate citizens paid farewells to this year fest which is believed to be accorded as famous fest in the state after internationally popular Cuttack Baliyatra.
Odisha’s former chief minister late Biju Pattnaik had started yearly fest Kalinga Baliyatra at Paradip sea shore in the year 1992 for remembering the legendary leader the ground was named as Biju Maidan and growth of the festival is increasing every year and has been celebrating uninterrupted till date, sources said.
The glazing sea shore under halogen lights is sprung to life with beginning of the week long Baliyatra on the eve of Kartika Purnima the field is decorated with shopping zone with as many as 200 stalls of all varieties, few amusement ingredients and many components of eatable sheds are erected during the fest.
The Baliyatra too is used as a platform by government agencies, private enterprises, industrial houses, commercial organizations to showcase their products and ideas during the fest as rituals, according to a visiting commercial business establishment explained they have endured successful business trip to this year Paradip Baliyatra, he revealed.
More over the Orissa Rural Development Marketing sponsored ORMAS stalls have made good business this year while district self-help groups have performed good market of their products in the festival, DRDA sources added.
According to host organizers said the expense incurred in the Baliyatra is being collected from local industrial houses, donations from public, personal collection, and lending stalls to different organizations however major funds are derived through advertisements by publishing a souvenir. However revenue earning during the event is around Rs 10 lakhs that suppresses the expenditure, informed organizer sources.
One of the attraction national and state level artists along with folk dancers and local cultural troupes perform cultural programmes every evening that drew huge crowd. But organizers had faced tough time this year as because few guests did not attend the fest despite commitments for which everyday meeting was substituted by local guests.
The main attraction of this year Kalinga Baliyatra was, exhibiting one wheel of lord Jagannath chariot had brought from Puri, and revelers had seen beeline taking a glimpse of the wheel.
.
The closing day festival was chaired by Jagatsinghpur ADM Satchidananda Sahoo attended by state WCD minister Praffula Samal, Paradip MLA Damodar Rout, Municipality chairman Basanta Kumar Biswal, Paradip ADM Dr Kanhu Charan Dhir.
Comments are closed.