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| (From top) Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur and artistes perform at a cultural event on the occasion of Nuakhai last year. (File Pictures) |
Sambalpur/ Balangir, Aug. 31: People in western Orissa are gearing up to welcome the new crop of the year with just a day to go for the agricultural festival of Nuakhai, also known as Nabanna.
Celebrated throughout the state, the festivity is observed with a lot of pomp and gaiety in this region.
A harvest festival, farmers offer the first crops to the household deity on the occasion.
Traditionally, the head of the family worships the household deity and then distributes rice or other food items prepared out of the newly harvested crop among the family members. After taking this new food, the members pray together.
“The festival reinforces the bonds of brotherhood since family members and relatives pray together and celebrate the new harvest. People celebrate Nuakhai as a welcome gesture to the new crop,” said Dwarika Prashad Naik, a researcher on the Sambalpuri folk songs that are sung on this occasion since a variety of cultural activities are organised.
“Earlier, Nuakhai was observed on different days in different places. But since 1991 it is being celebrated on the same day throughout Orissa,” said Pundit Buranchi Narayana Pati, president of Orissa Sanskrutik Samaj in Sambalpur.
Money matters
In Balangir, people are thronging banks and ATMs. With three days of consecutive bank holidays from Wednesday, people were seen rushing to the centres since Monday.
A big chunk of the people visiting banks and ATMs are the pensioners and salaried government employees.
Sources said the government has released the salary of its employees and the pension well in advance to help people smoothly observe Nuakhai.
Bhakta Charan Padhi, a pensioner who visited a bank for money to shop before Nuakhai, said that it was good that this year the government had released the pension well in advance.
“To make the festival grand, we splurge a lot. Fortunately this year the government has released the pension well in advance,” Padhi said.
Eye on diaspora
The Oriya diaspora, too, celebrates this festival across the country.
“For the last 10 years we have been celebrating Nuakhai in New Delhi. Oriyas living here participate in this festival that will be celebrated on September 3.
“On this occasion we will felicitate Nilamadhaba Panda, director of the movie I am Kalam and Santosh Kumar Panda, director of Delhi School of Economics, for their achievement in their respective fields,” said Bhawani Dixit, organiser of the Nuakhai festival in New Delhi.
Manoj Mishra, renowned film and television actor who is in Mumbai at present, said: “This year I won’t be there with my family in Sambalpur. I will miss the gathering.
“But the Oriya people in Mumbai celebrate Nuakhai in a grand way. So, this year we will celebrate Nuakhai on September 18 in Mumbai in a grand way”.