Cuttack, Nov 16: Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of Mission of 14 countries and their spouses as well as a number of other diplomats on Friday attended the inaugural ceremony of famous Cuttack Bali Yatra.
The festival, inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on November 15 on the occasion of Kartika Purnima, will continue till November 22.
Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar welcomed the delegates and hailed the arrangements of Cuttack Bali Yatra 2024.
The foreign delegates were accorded a grand welcome in the traditional way as they recreated the voyage to Bali by taking a boat ride along the Mahandi River, celebrating Odisha's rich maritime history.
As India marks a decade of Act East Policy this year, the festival also attained an international profile by participation from ASEAN, BIMSTEC and Pacific Island countries including the performances of their visiting cultural troupes during the entire week.
Jaideep Mazumdaar, said that cultural troops from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Slovakia and Bali will perform over eight days of this festival.
