Fast Facts :

Situated : Koraput, Orissa, India

Popular As : Tribal Festival

Month and Day concording to the Lunar Calendar : Kartik Purnima or Kartika Purnima (November to December)

Other Major Places : Paradeep, (Chilka) Balugaon, Konark and Cuttack

Precisely on the same dates of (Karam Festival), the clannish people of a place known as Koraput celebrate the Bali Jatra festival. Commencing from the 11th day of dazzling half of ‘Bhadrab’ month and it prolongs up to the full moon.

Commencement Of A Joyous Celebration :

The commencement of the Bali Jatra festival starts with first eating or 'Nuakhia' devour on which  newfangled rice is consumed. During this festival, various grains are also planted in the wet sand, which is known as Bali. This is the main ritual of this festival. 

Not only this festival is an agricultural festival many other events also takes place in this sanctified occasion. Women and Men put on their best dresses and celebrate with singing, dancing, feasting and drinking. In a number of areas, a huge swing is placed with its bench constellated with and a pointed nails and a (witch doctor) also known as Bejju sits on this swing. Pigeons, Goats, and fowls are forfeited. The Bejju after this event walks on live charcoal placed here. He hops in daze for the entire 3 days with sporadic rest, during which he identifies both evil and good signifies to endow benefit to the devotees.

Noticeably, the rite of swinging on the naily seat and walking on the fire is practiced by the (low-caste Hindus) living in the seaward areas during the festival of Pana Sankranti. It is believed that the tribes have espoused the rites from Hindus; as such, sacraments are not bided in the rituals of the tribal culture.