Bolangir: People across western Odisha are all set to celebrate Nuakhai with religious fervour and gaiety September 14.
Residents here have started their preparations for the main agrarian festival of the region with devotion.
Nuakhai is celebrated by offering new paddy crop to the presiding deity, seeking blessings for a bumper harvest. People offer the ‘Nabanna’ to the deity amidst ululations, beating of drums, cymbals and blowing of conch shells.
As per tradition, Nuakhai is observed on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadraba, the day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
The celebration begins by offering the Nabanna to Goddesses Samaleswari in the ‘lagna’ or auspicious moment.
Family members and relatives gather and feast to mark the day while youngsters in the family seek the blessings of the elder ones.
Markets in several parts of Bolangir and Sonepur have already got decked up for the festival. Women are busy making sweets and cakes for the day. Relatives of people living in western Odisha have started getting invitations for gatherings.
Several troupes have started practising dance on the rhythmic beats of traditional instruments like dhol, nisan and muhuri ahead of the harvest festival.
“Like every year, we will offer Nabanna to Maa Samleswari and then start the celebration. We have invited our relatives,” a woman said.
“There were many farmer deaths in the region due to crop loss and debt burden this year. So, we are planning to pay homage to the farmers on this Nuakhai. We will pray to the deity to save farmers from such misfortunes and seek blessings for bumper harvest,” said a local.
PNN