Boat Forms of Orissa

The coast of Orissa extends over a stretch of 530 km. from the marshes of Ichapuram in the south to the mouth of the Subarnarekha on the Bengal border. With the delta of the Mahanadi in the middle, the coast has an overall convexity to the sea. To the south is the lagoon lake of Chilka, with an entrance to the sea. The maritime traditions of Orissa, initially known as Kalinga, date back to the Mauryan days, if not earlier. A well established emigration from Kalinga, following the conquest of Emperor Asoka took the Kalingans to the far off Bali Island beyond the eastern limits of the Bay of Bengal. Following this migration regular maritime trade contacts shaped a bondage across the seas between Kalinga and Bali Island. Indians in Bali are often known as ‘Klings’.