Nuakhai festival gives a perfect opportunity to people in western Odisha to strengthen community bond and brotherhood like nowhere else.
Andhari village under Jujumura block of the district has now become the talk of the town in Sambalpur for organizing a unique crab catching competition wherein the winning candidate chances upon bagging a handsome bounty of Rs 5000 in prize money.
Residents of the area say that one Sanjeev Biswal of the village had started the competition for the first time few years ago to unite the villagers on the eve of Nuakhai, the most popular mass agrarian festival in western Odisha.
And the competition continues to be an integral event at the village during Nuakhai celebrations ever since. As per sources, as many as 35 people participated in the competition this year held in a nullah in the vicinity of the village.
People of Kayakuda gram panchayat took part in the competition this time round. An hour into the launch of the event, one Keshav Mirdha emerged victorious by catching the maximum number of crabs from the water body.
After the competition, local residents and other participants joined over a crab feast by contributing their share of the edible crustaceans.