Bada Osha / Kartika Purnima (Boita Bandana — sea-trade boat festival)
Lord Jagannath, the ocean and Sadhabas (ancient Odia maritime traders)
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Bada Osha — Kartika Purnima — the great Odia maritime festival commemorating the ancient Sadhaba sea-traders of Kalinga. Toy boats are floated at dawn with the Boita Bandana song. Concurrent with the Bali Yatra fair at Cuttack.
Dates 2026–2027
Mantra
ॐ श्री जगन्नाथाय नमः। आ का मा बै, पाण गुआ थोइ।
Om Sri Jagannathaya namah; A ka ma bai, pana gua thoi
Salutations to Sri Jagannath — chanted with the traditional Boita Bandana song as the toy boats are floated.
How to recite
Bada Osha is one of the largest Odia festivals — the entire month of Kartika is sacred (devotees observe the Habishyali vrat through the month). On Kartika Purnima (Bada Osha day), at dawn families float small toy boats made of banana-stem, paper or thermocol — laden with betel leaves, areca nuts, lamps and flowers — on rivers, ponds and the sea. This commemorates the ancient Odia Sadhaba sea-traders who sailed to Bali, Java and Sumatra. The chant 'A ka ma bai, pana gua thoi' is sung as the boats float away. At Puri, the Bada Singhara Vesha darshan is performed.
Benefits
Boita Bandana keeps alive the memory of Kalinga's vast sea-trade with Southeast Asia (the Bali Yatra fair at Cuttack runs concurrently). The whole month of Kartika is also Damodara month for Vaishnavas — daily lamp offerings to Damodara are made.
✦ Special Note
Per Drik Panchang. Kartika Purnima — 2026: November 24. 2027: November 14. Caps the month-long Kartika Brata (Habishya vrat) observed by Odia widows and devotees.
Foods Allowed
Foods to Avoid
Meal Idea
Habisha (rice cooked with moong dal, ginger, ghee — no salt, no oil), pitha, fresh chhena, mahaprasad.
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Get a reminder before the next Bada Osha / Kartika Purnima (Boita Bandana — sea-trade boat festival)
At 7pm the evening before, each time it comes around. Turn it off anytime.
Remind meDates shown for India (default). Enable JavaScript to set a reminder for your location.
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