Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of Mission of 14 countries and their spouses as well as a number of other diplomats attended the Bali Jatra Cuttack Utsav 2024. As India marks a decade of Act East Policy this year, the festival also attained an international profile by participation from ASEAN, BIMSTEC and Pacific Island countries including the performances of their visiting cultural troupes during the entire week.
Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha inaugurated the week long festival on 15 November 2024. The festival will continue till 22 November 2024 at Cuttack, Odisha.
Bali Jatra (Voyage to Bali) celebrates the rich maritime history of Odisha and commemorates India’s historical and civilisational links with Southeast Asia and wider Indo-Pacific that have evolved through the maritime journeys undertaken by the Indian seafarers over thousands of years.
The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha Smt. Pravati Parida, Member of Parliament Cuttack Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member of Parliament Jagatsinghpur Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai and senior officials of the State Government. Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), represented the Ministry of External Affairs at the event.