Karthik Purnima

In Odisha, on Kartik Purnima, people celebrate Boita Bandana(Boita stands for Boat or ship) by heading for the nearest water body to set afloat miniature boats, originally made out of banana stem and coconut stick, lit with Deepak(lamps), fabric, betel leaves,to remember the past maritime glory of Odisha.Ancient Oriental traders sailed from Kalinga to distant lands such of Sri Lanka and South-East Asia mostly to Java, Sumatra and Bali for trade.During the ceremony, men, women and children dressed up in traditional costumes launch tiny boats made from banana peels, paper or solapitha with lighted lamps inside, and Odia women perform the rite of Boita Bandana (ବୋଇତ ବନ୍ଦାଣ). The festival is similar to the 'Masakapan Ke Tukad' festival of Bali, and to the 'Loi Krathong' festival of Thailand, both of which involve ritualistic floating of model boats around the same time of year.Recalling this tradition, the "Baliyatra" festival is organized in Odisha.Bali jatra literally means a 'Voyage to Bali', and celebrates the ancient maritime tradition and the connection with Bali.
Historical evidence....

1. Terracotta seals from Bangarh and Chandraketugarh (400–100 BCE) depict sea going vessels carrying containing corn.The ships have a single mast with a square sail.
2. The earliest depiction of ships in Odisha is in a sculptured frieze showing two ships, found near the Brahmeswar temple, Bhubaneswar, and now preserved in the Odisha State Museum.
3. The Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar has a representation of a boat being steered with an oar by a woman, dated to the 11th century CE.
4. A sculpture from Konark in the 13th century CE shows a boat rowed by four people, with a cabin in the center in which a man is seated, armed with a bow and arrow.(Trade with Africa) .