Cuttack, Odisha, India    (Nov 2022)        

Cuttack is most visited during the Bali Yatra festival, which commemorates the rich maritime past of ancient Odisha. Evidence of Odisha's maritime trade with Southeast Asian and other countries appear in its literary and archaeological record. Bali Yatra is now mostly a giant and loud trade fair along the river Mahanadi in Cuttack – a yesteryear mela on steroids. Stalls sell everything from modern industrial goods like cars and gensets to fine handicrafts, pickles, and tribal jewelry, alongside cultural performances, ferris wheels, magic shows, eateries, etc. Its commerical success has led various cities in Odisha to institute their own Bali Yatra fairs in a bid to generate taxes. It's also not to be confused with the very different festival bearing the same name that's celebrated by certain Adivasi tribes in Southwestern Odisha.