Nuakhai
NUAKHAI or NABANNA is a social annual event to celebrate and
acknowledge the benevolence of Mother Earth in Western
Orissa. Literally NUAKHAI means partaking of the first
grains of paddy after harvesting the Kharif crop. This is
held on a predetermined auspicious day in the month of
Bhadrav corresponding to August- September of the English
Calendar.The significance of this festival lies more in its
socio-cultural content rather than its religious
orritualistic aspect. NUAKHAI is nearly akin to the Onam
Festival of Kerala or the Bhogali Bihu of Assam. Related to
the agrarian life and activities of the people of more than
ten districts of Western Orissa, NUAKHAI is a prayer for
plenty and prosperity, a way of thanksgiving to Mother Earth
and the ever benign and bountiful nature. Though it is
difficult to trace the origin of this festival, as our
collective memory says, in the olden days, this festival was
being observed at the behest of the feudal lords in the
princely states of Orissa like Sambalpur, Bolangir, Gangpur,
Bonai, Bamanda, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Boudh, Attmallik and
other smaller tributaries and zamindaries. In each of these
states, the ruling houses had their presiding deities.
Samaleswari in Sambalpur, Pataneswari in Bolangir,
Manikswari in Kalahandi. NUAKHAI in each of these states was
being observed according to the “State Almanac”. There was
no common day for this culturally contiguous vast area in
Western Orissa. But for over a decade now, to bring about
uniformity, by common consensus of the people, a
predetermined day has been identified for NUAKHAI and that
is the day after Sri Ganesh Chaturthi, the fifth lunar day
during the bright fortnight of Bhadrav. This unanimity of a
common day has helped people away from home to visit their
native places. A single day has been declared as holiday by
the State Government of Orissa in the entire state of
facilitate grand celebrations.The Oriya Diaspora, like we in
Delhi, do celebrate this festival on a convenient week-end
immediately after the Bhadrav Shukla Panchami. Now about the
rituals of this festival, Western Orissa is a unique land.
The hills, mountains, rivers, dales and fields about with
varied flora and fauna. During NUAKHAI nature is worshipped
for its bounty. Shakti being the celestial symbol of Mother,
during NUAKHAI the first offering of the new crop is offered
at the temple of the village deity like, Samaleswari,
Patameswari, Manikeswari at a predetermined auspicious time.
The offering is made in leaf-cups or “Dana” made of Sal,
Palasa, Tendu or Kurei leaves which are aplenty in the
forests of Western Orissa.UAKHAI is a festival which has
integrated within its fold of rituals elements of the
aborigines, the ethnic, the agrarian and the Aryan ways of
nature worship. The prince and the pauper, the crown and the
commoner, all take the blessed offering in leaf-cups sitting
on the ground facing east. The offering is performed by the
eldest in the family. Even nuclear families on this occasion
come together to partake the offering and participate in the
rituals and festivityFrom the temple to home and to the
community NUAKHAI embraces all in its fold.NUAKHAI has
influenced the collective psyche of the people of Western
Orissa. It has contributed to folklore, folk music and folk
culture in almost all the villages. Cultural events are
major highlights in the evening of NUAKHAI day with dance,
drama, music reverberating in the air, the echoes of which
are heard far and wide-even in Delhi.We welcome you all to
this joyous celebration, a festival to say thanks to Mother
Earth and the bountiful nature to meet members of the
families, to greet neighbours and friends and to renew and
reinforce the bonds of brotherhood for the years to come.
