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.
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
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.
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.
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.