BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday mentioned about Odisha’s Bali Yatra, an annual trade and commerce fair on the banks of Mahanadi river in Cuttack to commemorate the rich maritime history of the State.
The Prime Minister mentioned about Bali Yatra during his joint press conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo while on a visit to the country to highlight what binds Odisha and Bali together.
“Both India and Indonesia have rich cultural links which was depicted during the parade on the occasion of Republic Day, this year. Odisha’s festival Bali Yatra was represented in a tableau of ASEAN-India relationship at the parade. This annual festival is an example of the fact that the thousand-year old cultural relationship between the two countries is still alive,” he said.
While addressing the Indian diaspora at Jakarta, Modi also gave an example of Bali Yatra to highlight the close cultural links between the two countries.BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya said the Prime Minister’s mention about Odisha and the historic Bali Yatra of Cuttack in his Jakarta speech has brought laurels to the State. It shows Modi’s concern and love for Odisha and its people, he said.