Boat Festival in Mahanadi
By Susanta Kishore Bal
To commemorate the ancient boat journey by Sadhav puas(name of the trading community) undertaken to far-off Java Sumatra Bornio of Indonedia Kambodia and Philipines .
Our Odiya sailors (Sadhavas) were taking grains of various kinds in their man-operated boats there and bringing back rare molasses of various kinds
Thus along with their business , trade and commerce in general also flourished within these countries .
Boita Bandana takes place in the early morning of Kartik Purnima which is the full moon day in the month Kartika in the traditional Odia calendar. Since it falls on the lunar phase of the solar calendar, the exact date of the festival changes every year. In the Gregorian calendar, the festival usually falls in the month of November. The festival is a celebrated to mark the commemoration on the day when Sadhabas (ancient Odia mariner merchants) would set sail to distant lands of mainland and insular Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural exchange.
A major commemoration of this festival called ‘Bali Jatra’ is held at Gadagadia Ghata of Cuttack on the banks of Mahanadi .
The origins of this festival descends from an ancient maritime tradition of merchant trade and voyages across the ocean to different regions of Asia, which was well developed in this region known in ancient times as Kalinga. This ancient maritime tradition is preserved through this festival which celebrates the voyages of their ancestors, to Southeast Asian countries, which include mainly present-day Bali, Java, Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia and all the way to Champa region in Vietnam. Local traditions ascribe the origins of the ritual tradition to around 3rd century BC as Kalinga was a well known powerful maritime power and with strong trading links across the oceans especially during the reign of Maurya empire whose rulers coveted the region for its influence.
The voyages were undertaken in vessels known as boitas, by sadhabas or merchant mariners. They set off for months at a time, to trade with people from these distant lands across the ocean in Southeast Asia. Kartika Purnima was considered an auspicious for them to begin their voyage. It was during this time of month as well when the Northeast monsoon winds start blowing from November, which was favourable for the merchant mariners as the winds would guide the sails of their boats across the ocean leading them southwards towards Sri Lanka. Thereafter using the ocean currents to cross the Indian ocean to reach Southeast Asia where they would carry on sailing across different regions for trade. After trading the ships would take the ocean countercurrent to get back to Sri Lanka in time to take advantage of the Southwest monsoon around the month of May and return home.
Hence the women from the families of the traveling sailors used to perform rituals on the day of Kartik Purnima for their safe journey and return, which henceforth became the tradition of Boita Bandana (Worship of the Boats)
