Baliyatra in Cuttack will feature a new pavilion tracing the city’s maritime heritage and the 150-year journey of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, while authorities plan stricter plastic enforcement, expanded parking and measures to improve digital payments at the fairground.
The ‘Cuttack-in-Cuttack’ pavilion will present the city’s history, cultural traditions and changing identity through a series of themed installations. District collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde reviewed preparations at the fairground and said arrangements would be completed by November 22, ahead of the inauguration by President Droupadi Murmu on November 24.
A central attraction will be a historic tunnel titled ‘From Cuttack to Kataka’, designed to take visitors through the municipal corporation’s transformation since its establishment in 1876. The pavilion will also include miniature representations of landmarks such as the Clock Tower and the library, along with displays on the civic body’s achievements.
The exhibition will connect civic history with Cuttack’s traditional economy and public culture. A filigree gate and dedicated zone will highlight the city’s silver craftsmanship, while the ‘Odia Asmita – Asmita Alaya’ zone will pay tribute to Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das and Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das. A miniature of Utkal Tannery and an LED-lit gallery featuring eminent personalities from Cuttack are also planned.
The organisers are adding augmented and virtual reality experiences to the pavilion, alongside a children’s festival, an LED walk zone, a mehndi zone and a dedicated women’s space called the Red Box Zone. These installations are intended to make the fair’s heritage presentation more interactive for visitors.
Plastic management will be a key operational focus this year. Shinde said vendors would not be allowed to use plastic bags, containers or other plastic packaging. Plastic bottles brought by visitors will be collected for recycling. The civic body recycled around 250 quintals of plastic water bottles last year, according to the report.
To give vendors access to alternatives, the administration has signed a memorandum of understanding with ORMAS-Mayurbhanj. A stall operated through the arrangement will offer plates, containers and packaging materials made from Sal leaves. Shinde said the previous year’s crowd surge had made it difficult for vendors to immediately source environment-friendly alternatives, leading some to fall back on plastic.
The administration is also addressing mobile network problems that affected digital payments at the fairground last year. Shinde said there would be considerable improvement during the event, while a permanent solution would be taken up under the Mahanadi riverfront development plan.
Traffic management is another part of the preparations. Parking facilities will be arranged at 14 to 15 locations around the Baliyatra grounds to ease congestion and manage visitor movement. The arrangements are expected to remain focused on the fair period, with the administration’s next immediate milestone being completion of preparations by November 22.
