Sambalpur, Sept. 3: Preparations are on in full swing to celebrate harvest festival Nuakhai, which will be held on September 6. The festival is celebrated with pomp and gaiety across the state, especially in the western region.
During the celebration of Nuakhai, people of the region worship their presiding deities as a mark of gratitude for bumper crop, good rain and favourable weather for farming.
Customarily, each farmer offers the first grain of the harvest to the deity and partakes of it later.
Goddess Samaleswari in Sambalpur, Patneswari in Balangir, Sureshwari in Sonepur, Sekharbasini in Sundargarh and Manikeswari in Kalahandi are worshipped as the presiding deities.
"Earlier, Nuakhai used to be observed on different days in different places. But since 1992, people have been observing the festival on the same day across the state. The festival is a symbol of friendship, love and affection. Nuakhai binds communities together in a spirit of solidarity," said writer Deepak Panda.
The preparation for the festival begins a fortnight before the puja day. People clean their houses and new clothes are also worn on the day of the festival. Because of the upcoming festival, the markets are now flooded with Nuakhai items. Sambalpur city is abuzz with many activities because of the festival.
With only two days to go before the festival, people are making their Nuakhai purchases. Those staying outside the state have also started arriving home. In villages, houses wear a festive look.
"Nuakhai is the most important festival for the people of west Odisha. I never miss the festival. All family members assemble on this occasion. We all eat together. The younger members of the family seek the blessings of the elders. I have come here from Lucknow to celebrate the festival with my family," said Debabrata Pattanaik, who works with a private company in Lucknow. Pattanaik has come to Sambalpur to celebrate Nuakhai. People of this region who stay in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Visakhapatnam have also been celebrating festival over the past decade.
