Nuakhai
nuakhai agricultural festival mainly observed people western odisha india nuakhai observed welcome new rice season according calendar observed panchami tithi fifth day lunar fortnight month bhadrapada bhadraba august–september day ganesh chaturthi festival important social festival western odisha chhattishgarh also adjoining area simdega jharkhand culture western odisha much predominant nuakhai also called nuakhai parab nuakhai bhetghat also known navakhai parv chhattisgarh word nua mean new khai mean food name mean farmer possession newly harvested rice festival seen new ray hope held day ganesh chaturthi festival big significance farmer agricultural community festival celebrated particular time day called lagan aersaa pithaa prepared celebrate festival lagan come people first remember village god goddess khai nuakhai agricultural festival people western odisha festival observed throughout odisha particularly important life culture western odisha festival worship food grain best celebration kalahandi sambalpur balangir bargarh sundergarh jharsuguda subarnapur boudh nuapada district odisha according local researcher nuakhai fairly ancient origin researcher found fundamental idea celebration traced back least vedic time rishis sage talked panchayajna five important activity annual calendar agrarian society five activity specified sitayajna tilling land pravapana yajna sowing seed pralambana yajna initial cutting crop khala yajna harvesting grain prayayana yajna preservation produce view nuakhai may seen evolved third activity namely pralambana yajna involves cutting first crop reverently offering mother goddess although origin festival lost time oral tradition date back th century ad time first chauhan king ramai deva founder patna state currently part balangir district western odisha effort build independent kingdom raja ramai deo realized significance settled agriculture subsistence economy people area primarily based hunting food gathering realised form economy could generate surplus required maintain sustain state state formation sambalpuri region nuakhai ritual festival played major role promoting agriculture way life thus credit given raja ramai deo making nuakhai symbol sambalpuri culture heritage early year fixed day celebration festival held sometime bhadraba sukla pakhya bright fortnight bhadraba time newly grown kharif crop autumn crop rice started ripening reason observing festival month bhadrava even though food grain ready harvesting thought present grain presiding deity bird animal peck ready eating early tradition farmer would celebrate nuakhai day designated village headman priest afterward patronage royal family simple festival altered mass socioreligious event celebrated entire kosal region western odisha region every year tithi day samaya time observance astrologically determined hindu priest priest sat together brahmapura jagannath temple sambalpur calculated day time tithi date lagna auspicious moment calculated name pataneswari devi balangirpatnagarh area name sureswari devi subarnapur area name manikeswari devi kalahandi area sundargarh puja worship first offered royal family goddess sekharbasini temple opened nuakhai sambalpur stipulated lagna auspicious moment head priest samaleswari temple offer nuaanna nabanna goddess samaleswari presiding deity sambalpur people western odisha region initiate preparation event day advance nuakhai understood nine colour consequence nine set ritual followed prelude actual day celebration nine colour include beheren announcement meeting set date lagna dekha setting exact date partaking new rice daka haka invitation sapha sutura lipa puchha cleanliness ghina bika purchasing nua dhan khuja looking new crop bali paka final resolve nuakhai taking prasad offering deity nuakhai eating new crop prasad offering deity followed dancing singing juhar bhet respect elder gift transfer preparation begin day prior date festival elderly person village sit together holy place beheren call villager blowing trumpet people get together discus priest tithi lagna auspicious day time nuakhai priest consults panjika astrological almanac announces sacred muhurta period time equal minute nua taken attempt made set common tithi nuakhai festival western odisha decided workable idea idea reintroduced set bhadraba sukla panchami tithi nuakhai festival became successful since festival celebrated day odisha state government declared official holiday although sake convenience common auspicious day set nuakhai sanctity ritual lost importance today however system setting tithi lagna calling elderly person consensus happen urban area nuakhai celebrated community domestic level ritual first observed temple reigning deity area village deity afterward people worship respective home offer ritual domestic deity lakshmi deity wealth hindu tradition people wear new clothes occasion tradition offering nua presiding deity eldest member family distributes nua member family taking nua junior member family offer regard elder thereafter follows nuakhai juhar exchange greeting friend wellwishers relative symbolizes unity occasion people lay difference rest start relationship afresh towards evening people meet one another exchanging greeting difference discarded elder wished nuakhai juhar elder bless junior wish long life happiness prosperity even partitioned brother celebrate festival one roof evening folk dance song organized called nuakhai bhetghat people dance foot tapping traditional sambalpuri dance form like rasarkeli dalkhai maelajada chutkuchuta sajani nachnia bajnia according singh evidence found nuakhai festival observed nearly major tribe central eastern india minor difference nomenclature jeth nawakhai celebrated among dudh kharia pahari kharia nawakhani amongst oraon birjia jom nawa among munda birjia janther baiharhoro nawai santal gondli nawakhani tribal people ranchi district nawa birjia nawajom birhor dhan nawakhani korwa russel hiralal mentioned nawakhani festival paraja small tribe found bastar region odisha gautam observed new corn offering rice eating festival santals santal pargana term jom nawa da gupta noted nawa ceremony birjia section asura tribe chhotanagpur bhaduri present short note celebration festival tripura known mikatal mi stand rice katal mean new celebrated month aswina september–octoberin coastal district odisha festival called nabanna regardless name main objective festival get social sanction new crop invoke deity bless land abundant crop nuakhai cohesive unified force people western odisha living delhi unite celebrate together occasion nuakhai people odisha living rajasthan bangalore bhopal chennai hyderabad kolkata mumbai surat visakhapatnam celebrating nuakhai new city past decade modern nuakhai festival observed fifth day second fortnight bhadrava unquestionably given new look homogeneity uniformity various social organization western odisha including government odisha lost enormity variety passage time nuakhai still occasion endorses patrimonial nature sambalpuri culture society