'Pride And Glory Of Bali-Yatra' to be held at Tagore Centre from today

Kolkata: To project the pride and glory of Indian culture in Indonesia Resource Indica: Roots & Revelations, in collaboration with Embassy Of The Republic Of Indonesia and Indonesia Tourism is organising a multimedia presentation on this rich cultural relation - 'The Pride And Glory Of Bali-yatra' at The Rabindranath Tagore Centre ICCR from June 9 to 11.

Overseas trade and maritime activities of ancient Kalinga (Bengal, Orissa) played a significant role, thus creating an everlasting bond of Indian's glorious cultural relation with Indonesia. Indians, more specifically the people of Kalinga, had established their colonies in South Eastern Asia, like Indonesia.

While these are well known, we know little of the ports and port towns in the East. Of the many, perhaps the most important was Tamralipti, a great centre of trade and commerce.

Also known as Tamralipta, the most prominent port of Kalinga kingdom which is located in the present day town of Tamluk in Midnapur, played a major role in transcending the treasure of our ethnicity to the far island of Bali in Indonesia.

Historians speculate that it was the desire to access the rich ports on the Eastern coast of Tamralipti, that led Asoka to invade Kalinga. The port certainly played a big role in making big urban centres like Sisupalgarh thrive. Tamralipti became an important port in the Mauryan Empire.

Ptolemy describes the famous port town called "Tamilitis", a flourishing port town on the Ganga in the second century, which was a gateway to the countries like Indonesia.

The Pride & Glory Of Bali-yatra, an initiative of Resource Indica: Roots & Revelations, is a never-before multimedia project - on this great passage of time and glorious tides – that throws new light on the impact of Indian tradition and culture that is visible in Indonesia and in the minds and hearts of people in the far away island of Bali, Indonesia.

The 'The Pride And Glory Of Bali-yatra' presentation in Kolkata will include a Pictorial Exhibition, Coffee-table Book & Documentary Film – all of which were put together by writer, photographer and film maker Sudip Sen.