Balangir: People have started making preparations for the agrarian festival, Nuakhai, in which the new crop is first offered to the local deity and then consumed by the households. The festival is considered auspicious among the residents of Balangir and Sonepur districts and the entire western Odisha. Natives of these areas, who are working outside, are also returning home to mark the festival, which is scheduled on Friday.

Sudhir Tripathy, who works in Mumbai, reached Balangir to observe Nuakhai with his family. Sudhir said he visited home once in a year. "I never fail to come here during Nuakhai. I get nostalgic about home when the festival approaches," he said.

Sudhir says Nuakhai is the harvest festival of Western Orissa and a festival of brotherhood. "People of various communities celebrate the festival together," he said. Preparations begin about 15 days ahead of the festival. Elderly persons of the village sit with the priests and chalk out the lagna (the time) for Nuakhai.

Purusottam Mishra, who is a professor in Odia language, said the rituals during the preparations of the festival show impact of tribal culture and Hinduism.

Mishra said: "Nuakhai is celebrated both at the community and domestic level. The rituals are first observed at the Somaleswari temple of Balangir and Sonepur. The sacred crop is offered to the local deity Maa Somaleswari.

Later, people celebrate the festival at their homes and offer the new crop to their domestic deity and to Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth in the Hindu tradition.

People wear new clothes on the occasion. It is a tradition that after offering the nua (new crop) to the presiding deity, the eldest member of the family distributes it to other members of the family."

This festival symbolises unity. During the evening, folk dances and songs called Nuakhai Bhetghat (Nuakhai meet) are performed. People take part in Sambalpuri dance forms such as Rasarkeli, Dalkhai, Maelajada,Chutkuchuta,Sajani, Nachnia and Bajnia.