Nuakhai is an annual harvest festival in Odisha and is celebrated on Bhadraba Shukla Panchami Tithi, the next day of Ganesh Chaturthi festival. This day is considered one of the most important and auspicious days. Nua means new and Khai means food, so the people of western Odisha offer freshly cut food to the Devi. This festival is mainly celebrated in West Odisha and Jharkhand. This festival is also a major festival of tribals.
Nuakhai is all about being thankful for food. An important festival for the farmers, Nuakhai reflects the cultural diversity and heritage of India. It is also called 'Nuakhai Parab' or 'Nuakhai Bhetghat'.
How Nuakhai is celebrated:
❀ A new crop or nabanna is offered to Maa Samaleswari, the Devi of western Odisha. Prasad is prepared for the devi at the head priest's residence.
❀ After offering Nabanna to devi Samaleshwari, the food is distributed among the people and they eat it together. After completing all the rituals, people prepare delicious food and celebrate this festival with great pomp and show.
❀ The rituals are first observed in the temple of the area deity or village deity. Later, people worship in their respective homes and perform rituals to their household deity and Lakshmi, the devi of wealth in the Hindu tradition.
❀ On this day, every member of the family wears new clothes and they greet each other, show affection and take blessings from the elderly members of the family. This ritual is known as Nuakhai Juhar.
❀ People sing and perform traditional Sambalpuri dances, Nuakhai festival is a symbol of Sambalpuri culture and it reminds the people of Odisha of the importance of agriculture in one's life. Nuakhai is a regional public holiday in the Indian state of Odisha.
| Related Name | Nuakhai, Nuakhai Parab, Nuakhai Bhetghat, Nuakhai Juhar |
| Begins Tithi | Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha Panchami |
| Reason | Harvest Festival |
| Celebrations | Prayer at home, Prayer at Lakshmi temple |
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