Prez, PM, Odisha CM greet people on ‘Nuakhai’ festival

Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur, Sep 8 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Home Ministers Amit Shah on Sunday greeted the people on the occasion of ‘Nuakhai’, an agrarian festival mostly celebrated in the western parts of Odisha.

Nuakhai is an agrarian festival where the first crop of the field is offered to the goddess in the western districts of Odisha and people seek the blessings of elders in each household.

Murmu, who hails from Odisha, extended her heartfelt greetings of Nuakhai to all Indians, especially the people of Odisha.

Stating that Nuakhai is a major agrarian festival, Murmu on X said, “Nuakhai festival is an occasion to express gratitude to the farmers of the country. May this festival bring happiness and prosperity in everyone’s life.”

“Nuakhai Juhar! My best wishes on the special occasion of Nuakhai. We express gratitude to our hardworking farmers and appreciate their efforts for our society. May everyone be blessed with joy and good health,” Modi posted on X.

Majhi wished for the prosperity and happiness of all people on this auspicious day and prayed for the welfare of the world.

The Odisha CM arrived in Sambalpur on a two-visit. After he reached Sambalpur, Majhi along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state ministers Suresh Pujari and Rabi Narayan Naik and few other senior BJP leaders offered prayers at Maa Samaleswari temple and took ‘Nabanna’ (season’s first harvest) in the temple.

Majhi is scheduled to launch the CM Kisan Yojana in western Odisha later in the day. He will also participate in ‘Nuakhai Bhetghat’ programmes.

Shah in a social media post, said, “Warm greetings on the occasion of Nuakhai. A festival that revives our bond with nature, Nuakhai is a living relic of our ancient culture. May the blessings of Maa Samaleswari bestow upon everyone good health, happiness, and prosperity.”

Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Nuakhai is a shining symbol of our cultural, spiritual and social lifestyle. This festival gives a strong message to everyone to live together. On this occasion, I pray to Maa Samleswari for the happiness and prosperity of everyone.”

Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik in a post on X wished people through a video message and said, “My Nuakhai greetings to all. May Maa Samleswari bless you all with good life, happiness and prosperity.”

Special preparations have been made in the temple of presiding deities including Goddess Samaleswari in Sambalpur, Patneswari in Balangir, Sureshwari in Sonepur, Sekharbasini in Sundargarh and Manikeswari in Kalahandi for the festival.

The celebrations of Nuakhai include wearing of new clothes, worshipping the presiding deity and having a sumptuous lunch with the entire family, apart from the usual rituals. People exchange ‘Nuakhai Juhar’ greetings with friends, relatives and well-wishers.

On this day, farmers of western Odisha offer their first crop of the year to their presiding deity. The head of the family offers rice and other food items to their presiding deities.

In Sambalpur, thousands of devotees thronged their presiding deity, Maa Samaleswari temple on the occasion of Nuakhai. The new rice made out of the first harvested paddy crop was offered to goddess Samaleswari at the stipulated lagna (auspicious moment) between 9.12 am and 9.27 am.

“The new rice with new vegetables and fruits of the season were offered to the goddess at the stipulated lagna and later the other 115 deities (Parsva Deva Devi) were offered the new harvest,” said Samaleswari temple’s priest Ambika Rai.

Earlier, Nuakhai was being observed on different days in different places. But since 1991, the people of the state have been celebrating the festival on the same day.

“The festival is observed to express gratitude to the almighty for the foodgrain. Nuakhai in Western Orissa is not a festival of any particular group, caste or creed. It is a festival celebrated by all the people of the region with great enthusiasm,” said Siddhartha Panda, a local writer.