"The city of Bhubaneswar has a unique distinction of having rich history which goes back to many millennia and at the same time being among modern India's first planned city," Swaraj said inaugurating an International Conference, on "India and Indian Ocean: Renewing the Maritime Trade and Civilisational Linkages" here.
She said Bhubaneswar city is home to a large number of ancient temples which stand testimony to millennia old uninterrupted flow of its culture and a number of institutes, or "I may say, temples of higher learning".
The three-day conference is jointly organised by Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, Kolkata.
Referring to the strong community linkages of the Indian Ocean, Swaraj said our respective cultural practises, values and societal ethos are well defined in our folk songs and writings.
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'Boitha Bandana' that is the worshipping of the ships is a practise that has been there since Kalinga (Odisha was known as earlier) days, she said adding the ships used to embark on long voyages to Sri Lanka, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Malaya, Vietnam and also to China.
The festival of Baliyatra on Karthik Purnima in November is a continuation of this tradition. With commendable efforts of the State government here, this has emerged as a major connect with our ancient maritime legacy, she said.
Small Krathongs or boats on several streets of Bangkok, sometime in November, remind us of Boitha. Similar cultural practices are evident in Indonesia when Mesakapan Ke Tukad is celebrated all across the different islands, the External Affairs minister said.