Bhubaneswar: Bindusagar in Odisha Capital was abuzz with activity this morning. People with colourful boats made of a banana stem, paper and thermocol flocked to the tank to perform Boita Bandana rituals, celebrating Odisha’s rich maritime glory.

We can see a parallel of Boita Bandana in Bangkok, which celebrates Loy Krathong with people gathering near water bodies to pay their respect to Water Goddess by sailing beautiful lotus-shaped rafts, decorated with candles, incense and flowers. The flickering lights on the boats create sheer magic.

Picture Courtesy: changpuak.ch

The festival marks the end of the harvest season and is a thanksgiving ritual for abundant supply all year through as well as apology for polluting the water bodies. Many believe, people let go of their grudges and anger with the lights that pervade all that is dark. And you can expect a year of good luck if the candle stays alight until the Krathong disappears out of sight.