In a major announcement, the Cuttack district administration on Monday decided to conduct the historic Bali Yatra fair on the banks of river Mahanadi this year. It will be after a gap of two years that Bali Yatra will be organised in the millennium city that draws lakhs of visitors.
It is one of the major events which sees business worth crores in a week’s time. No permission was earlier granted to Bali Yatra owing to Covid-19 restrictions in the past two years.
With Covid-19 cases decreasing, it has been decided to allow the conduct of Bali Yatra. Cuttack Collector, Bhawani Shankar Chayani said, “We are planning to organise Bali Yatra this year as there has been a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases.”
Earlier, BCCI had also allowed spectators at Barabati stadium which hosted a T20 international match between India and South Africa yesterday.
Similarly, the Odisha government has also allowed participation of devotees for Snana Purnima rituals of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deiities at Puri Jagannath temple.
Usually, traders from different parts of the country as well as Odisha set up kiosks during the week-long fair in Cuttack. One can find a wide-range of handicrafts and handloom products, electronic gadgets and other household articles at the fair