As the state government had imposed prohibitory orders on gathering of people near water bodies for Boita Bandana, the Kartika Purnima festival was hardly celebrated in the state. There were no ‘Aa Ka Ma Bai, Paan Gua Thoi’ chants to be heard on the bank of rivers and ponds, nor were there any miniature boats floating around in these water bodies today.
In normal times, people wake up in the wee hours and float miniature symbolic boats to celebrate the maritime history of Odisha. In the ancient times, Odia sailors used to set sail for trade in far off lands on Kartika Purnima.
But today, police forces were deployed near major water bodies to keep people away. “We deployed forces to deter people from gathering. Hence, there was no crowd today in the Old Town area,” said Sarat Patra, IIC, Lingaraj Police station. Bindusagar and several other ponds in Old Town used to be major spots for Boita Bandana celebrations.
Anusuya Pradhan, a resident of Old Town, told us “Since the state government has imposed restrictions, we have to follow it. Public health is more important than any festival, which can happen next year.”
The annual Balijatra that used to start on this day on the Mahandi bank in Cuttack also has been called off this year.