A sea of humanity sweeping across the river bank of Kathojodi, myriad colors and people creating a collage of diversity! 1300 kiosks (selling stuff starting from a needle to a car), loudspeakers and plethora of hawkers, creating a din unparalled by any event in Orissa. 7 days of fun, frolic and shopping! Gastronomical delights/upsets sourced from a variety of dishes, Thunka puri (Oriya version of Chhole bhature), chaat, gupchup (Pani puri), Dahivada & alu dum, Chicken rolls, Mathura cake (Indian donut), Chilly pakora, and sweets from different parts of Orissa. All this and more, constitutes Balijatra! An event, for which the entire Orissa waits throughout the year. People schedule their engagements, marriages and holiday plans according to the dates of Balijatra. Such is the craze/passion to attend this annual 7 day fair!
Every year, I make a resolution not to visit the fair the next time, 'coz basically I dislike pollution of any kind, be it noise or atmosphere. But again, the event arrives, and I end up forgetting my resolution made in all earnestness. Just cannot resist the magnetic pull of it!
It started on sunday, and I have already visited it thrice! There is a set of eligibility criteria for all those wishing to visit Balijatra.
1. Physical fitness : You have to be in top shape, if you want to visit the fair, to jostle with the crowd and make your way through the mass of humanity, most of whom are from villages. They come armed with bags, baskets, kids! As we well enough know, people from villages are extremely sturdy and well built, one nudge from them, and you are flat on the ground. So better, hit the gym, one month prior to the fair, so that you can atleast walk shoulder to shoulder with them.
2. Cultivate the habit of walking : You would be required to walk a distance of 5-7 kms atleast, if you want to cover the entire fair.
