Baliyatra festival in Cuttack ended peacefully

The eight-day long Baliyatra festival in Cuttack the biggest fare of the State that witnessed heavy footfalls everyday at three fair grounds ended peacefully on November 28 without any major untoward incident. The district administration heaved a sigh of relief after successful completion of the fare. With the end of Baliyatra, three-month long festive season also came to an end much to the relief of local administration.

It was also a hectic schedule for local police in maintaining law and order containing crime, particularly in the city during puja season which began with Lord Ganesh Puja in August last. Baliyatra witnessed heavy gathering of an average of three lakh people thronging the festive grounds everyday. "An estimated 10 lakh revellers thronged the fare site on last two days of the festival during the weekends," sources said. Due to a systematic and schematic approach by administration, the grandest festival of the city went off peacefully," said a relaxed Kishore Kumar Mohanty, the district collector.

Sources maintain that apart from some minor allegations of theft cases, not a single cognizable crime was reported from the festive grounds over the week. Not even a case of vehicle theft, snatching or any act of burglary or robbery reported. Even there was also a drastic fall in cases like eve teasing, pickpocket and hooliganism by drunkards that are generally associated with such gatherings.

Source: The Pioneer