Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has proposed an allocation of Rs 10 crore for organising this year’s historic Bali Jatra in Cuttack, with a focus on promoting the state’s cultural heritage and making the annual festival environmentally friendly.
The preparations for the festival were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj at the Culture Department conference room.
Bali Jatra will be held from November 24 to December 1. As part of the government’s plans, the festival will be organised as a plastic-free event this year.
The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) will set up 500 stalls at prominent locations across the fairground to showcase the state’s handloom and handicraft products.
Two stages will also be arranged for cultural programmes, while a delegation from Bali is expected to visit the festival.
A special attraction will be the presentation of cultural links between Bali and the ancient Kalinga kingdom at the Cuttack-in-Cuttack pavilion. Visitors will get an opportunity to explore similarities in language, food, clothing and traditional manuscripts. The exhibition will feature Odisha’s palm-leaf manuscripts alongside Lontar, the traditional palm-leaf manuscripts of Bali, supported by a digital information wall.
The meeting also reviewed preparations for the State Book Festival, scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar from December 4 to 14.
The Minister suggested developing special pavilions based on the life and achievements of Kapilendra Deva, along with themes such as Vande Mataram and Gyan Bharatam. The festival will also feature a dedicated children’s literature section, a Meet the Author corner, quiz competitions and open-mic sessions.
Several ongoing infrastructure and heritage projects under the Culture Department were also reviewed. Suraj directed IDCOL officials to expedite the completion of Kalamandal. The meeting assessed progress on the proposed auditorium of Utkal Sanskruti Viswavidyalaya, renovation of the auditorium and classrooms at Kala Vikash Kendra, and the Bakulabana development project.
Other projects discussed included the modern museum in Bhubaneswar, identification of land for the Shree Jagannath Interpretation Centre and Museum in Puri, and renovation of Bhanja Kala Mandap.
The Minister also reviewed plans to establish a regional campus of the National School of Drama, implementation of the Barputra Heritage Village scheme and installation of statues honouring eminent personalities recognised as Barputras.
He instructed officials to ensure that all projects under the Culture Department are completed within their stipulated timelines.
Culture Department Secretary Dr Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, Cuttack Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, officials of IDCOL and OBCC, and senior department officials attended the meeting.
