Western Odisha celebrates Nuakhai festival with pomp and gaiety; President & BJP National VP Jay Panda greet citizens

The much-awaited major agrarian festival Nuakhai is being celebrated in every nook and corner of Western Odisha with much fanfare and religious fervour on Sunday.

As part of the celebrations, people offered the newly harvested Nabanna (new rice) crop to their respective presiding deities as per the fixed auspicious time this morning.

 The ‘Nabanna’ (newly harvested rice) was offered to Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, between 9.12 am and 9.27 am today. ‘Nabanna’ was also offered to Goddess Pateneswari in Bolangiri.

After providing the ‘Nabanna’, people relished different delicacies prepared from the newly harvested crop along with their family members.

The ‘Nuakhai Juhar’ is a significant ritual of the festival. It is an exchange of greetings with friends, relatives, and well-wishers. 

As per age-old tradition, people greet elders with ‘Nuakhai Juhar’ and they give blessings for long life, happiness and prosperity.

People settled in towns and other parts of the State have returned to their villages in Western Odisha to be part of the celebration.

“We come to Bolangir every year to celebrate Nuakhai. It’s a great feeling to be part of the cultural and social extravaganza,” said a woman devotee of Goddess Samaleswari.

On this special occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and some other Ministers are scheduled to visit Sambalpur to have darshan of Goddess Samaleswari. CM Majhi will have the darshan of Goddess Samaleswari at 12.30 pm today. 

Subsequently, he will attend some ‘Nuakhai Bhetghat’ cultural programs at different places.

Moreover, CM Majhi will launch the CM Kisan Yojana as a Nuakhai gift from the Odisha government to farmers at the auditorium of Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur at 4 pm today. Majhi will also inaugurate the portal for the scheme.

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and BJP National Vice-President Baijayant Panda extended their greetings to the people on the festival of Nuakhai and prayed peace and prosperity in the country.

“Heartiest congratulations to the people of the country, especially to the people of Odisha on the occasion of the Nuakhai festival. Nuakhai is a great agrarian festival. It’s a special occasion to show our gratitude to the farmers of the country. May this festival fill everybody’s life with peace and prosperity,” Murmu wrote on X (earlier known as Twitter).
 
“Nuakhai Juhar to all on the occasion of Western Odisha’s Nuakhai festival. I pray for peace and prosperity of all before Goddess Samaleswari,” tweeted CM Mohan Majhi.

“Nuakhai Juhar. I wish all on the occasion of Odisha’s agrarian cultural festival Nuakhai. May everyone’s lives be filled with happiness, peace and prosperity with blessings from Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samalei,” tweeted BJP National Vice-President and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda.