Rourkela: Nuakhai celebrations in Jhurimal village under Lefripara block of the district is perhaps one of the finest examples of brotherhood and bonhomie among the villagers, a rarity these days.
On this day, members of all the 163 families in the village come together and organise a community feast, and observe the occasion with dance and various events. “Our kitchens remain shut for the whole day as all cooking activities take place at one place, i.e. on the main road of the village. This has been a practice for the last 12 years, and it will continue in the future,” said Deigambar Bhoi, a resident of the village. The tradition began with five families in the village who came together to celebrate Nuakhai by organising a feast. Over the years, the entire village joined in. There is no caste bar, and all are welcome to this community celebration. “Since we don’t cook at home on this day, we bring along all food articles and cook in one place. After the food is ready, we sit together for lunch and share each other’s food. Such a celebration is unique,” said another villager. On the day, people forget their differences and celebrate the occasion like one family. “When you cook together and share food, the chances of personal preferences, or differences take a back seat,” said Dharanidhar Pradhan, a villager. The day started with the offering of ‘nabanna’ to the presiding deity of the village, Lord Hanuman.
Also Read: Odisha: Greetings pour in on ‘Nuakhai’ festival
Thereafter, families offered prayers to their household deities. Then started the community cooking. After the cooking was over, volunteers served the food. Earlier, the seniors were served first, but the tradition has stopped these days. The platter included traditional dishes such as rice, dal, khiri, pitha, mixed vegetables etc. MLA Sundargarh Yogesh Kumar Singh who participated in the feast as a guest said, “I have never seen such bonding among villagers. This is rare and special. This can set an example of brotherhood and harmonious living.”
As no celebration is complete without entertainment, the villagers organised traditional games like ‘puchi; ‘blowing the conch cell’, ‘hulhuli’, ‘pulling sticks’, and the likewise which added colour to the festivities. The main attraction of the day was ‘dulduli’ dance, wherein almost all came together and danced. Celebrities like Pradeep Dutta from the Odia film industry, emerging singer Anant Nayak, comedian Mohit Meher and others, who were present on the occasion, were honoured by the villagers. Moreover, the state Millets Mission had put up a small exhibition of its products at the village.