Nuakhai: A Festival of Western Odisha
Nuakhai is a harvesting festival that joyfully celebrates the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. It is mainly celebrated in western districts such as Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Sonpur, and Bargarh
Farmers harvest their first crops and offer them to their goddess/gods. After the crop is harvested, the farmers celebrate this festival as a festival of joy, as their hard work has paid off
Everyone who is working out of their village, studying out of their village, or living there tries to return to their village and celebrate this festival very joyfully.
As I am also living out of my village, I always have a will to go and celebrate, but sometimes I can go and sometimes I cannot, but I still have the will
When I go to my village, I joyfully celebrate the festival. In the morning, I get up in the morning, take a bath, and are ready for Nuakhai wearing new clothes. At a particular time, approximately 50 people gather in a very large room to have Nua. An elderly father performs puja and distributes Nua to all of us. After eating Nua, we first offer prayer to our goddess and then to our elders. We would roam around the village, and we would touch every elder's foot. This was then the time for lunch. I got served so many things that I felt dizzy about where to start and where to end it. I enjoyed playing with my cousins, and whenever I went, it always rained. After clicking on the photos, it was time to return home.
Nuakhai is not only a festival of harvesting but also a festival of joy and happiness
To conclude, I would like to say that HAPPY NUAKHAI to all
-Aradhya Panda