NUAKHAI JUHAR🙏
Festival of Nuakhai (Nabanna) an agricultural , harvest festival which is observed mainly by people of western Odisha. It is the festival welcoming the new rice of the season,according to the Hindu calendar it is observed on panchami tithi - the fifth day of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhaadra (August–September) falls the next day of Ganesh Chaturthi. This year Ganesh Chaturthi was yesterday 14th September and
Today 15th September 2026 is Nuakhai.
The origin of Nuakhai dates back to the 12th century - the first Chauhan Raja Ramai Deo, who was the founder of the princely state of Patna which is currently part of Balangir district in Western Orissa. In his efforts to build an independent kingdom, Raja Ramai Deo realized the significance of settled agriculture because the subsistence economy of the people in the area was primarily based on hunting and food gathering. The credit therefore goes to Raja Ramai Deo for making Nuakhai a symbol of Sambalpuri culture and heritage.
Nuakhai is celebrated across western Odisha in the districts of Bargarh, Bolangir,Boudh, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Sundargarh,Sonepur,Kalahandi, Jharsuguda.
The celebration revolves round the preparation of new rice, along with a variety of dishes prepared. Get-together of families and finally the bhetghat.Officially being a holiday in Western Odisha, people and families make it a point to visit their villages where they celebrate together.Most families try to have a get-together within the family. This also make it possible for many to interact with each other, the bhetghat that is said and seek each other's blessings.
Nuakhai is now celebrated across the globe with people from this region having located across the world have started celebrating it in whichever country they stay. Earlier it was confined only to western Odisha but gradually the people across have started observing and participating in the celebration. Nuakhai is no longer a festival confined to western Odisha only but amongst all people of Odisha irrespective of whichever region,State,Country they stay. Thanks to the people who take the initiative in observing the festival amongst the Odias whichever place they are based, maintaining the culture and tradition and celebrating it in much fervour.
While this area is famous for the Sambalpuri handloom, on this ocassion usually people try to put on a sambalpuri attire be it the saree, salwar kurta for ladies or kurta pyjama for men.Even the little children are also adorned with sambalpuri dresses.
Nuakhai 28th August 2025
While the year 2020 had quite a silent nuakhai, in 2021 it was mostly amongst families the reason being covid-19 but the celebration was a low key thought.However, in the year 2022, it seemed to be back to the normal and the real nuakhai celebration Those were the times of Covid and even if it seemed to exist but people hardly followed the covid rules and as such the responsible ones knew what and how exactly they need to follow.
However the nuakhai celebration is always a special one for the people of western Odisha. Offices remain closed. Almost every family gather at their villages to celebrate it together. While there are families who celebrate amongst their own families.Whichever way they celebrate it the togetherness and the relationship between becomes stronger and stronger no doubt. As the time goes by and children from every family settled at different locations while some try to make it to the festival and some others couldn't due to their work. But the even try to make it during dussehra being together and celebrating the nuakhai.
On this day of Nuakhai the harvested rice which is first offered to Maa Samaleswari at the Temple.
The family of Subash Behera makes every effort to harvest so that the new crop can be reaped just within 60 days and give the new crop to the head priest of Maa Samaleswari temple so that it could be offered to Maa Samalei on the day of Nuakhai. His family has been providing this new crop for the Goddess since the last five years.
The festival at its best in the grand way celebrated with new harvest with new rice cooked with delicious dishes of different veg curry and pitha, manda, kheer and other sweet dishes and many more dishes to be enjoyed
Below picture shows Paddy and Rice grains separated from the chaff . The new rice is used for preparation
Today's special was Letha , ghanta tarkari apart from other curry like potato cauliflower and fries like saru, kankada . Kheer was the most special one because the new rice was added in it and offered to the goddess lakshmi at home.
To brief about letha, its a soupy veg mixed dish thats prepared on any special occasions like this and more.
After having the new rice and food then comes the time to greet each other. The young ones takes the blessings of the elders and the elders bless the youngers. Thus Nuakhai Juhar.
August 23,2020 - The pandemic year
However, this year 2020 has been a year marked as the most tragic year following the pandemic Covid-19 . Lets make this successful even from our home and wishing each other through the various medium available to us in ths modern age that has made every possibility to get in touch with one another across the country and the world over. Wherever we are celebrate with all enthusiasm and let's all pray to Maa Samalei and seek her blessings for a peaceful and Covid -19 free World.
Here's a request to everyone celebrating . Please celebrate at home, don't move out to celebrate together with other families .This can be avoided only to keep each other safe .Stay home and help others to stay safe too doing the same . There are many ways to keep in touch through visual medium ,social medias, zoom, whatsapp video .Though the feel of being togetherness though physically not possible but these medium has made and brought about the possibility of seeing one another visually wherever one is across the globe.
Let's make this Nuakhai, possible with maintaining distance and enjoy this festival.
The year 2020 Nuakhai was the last one with my mother.
The last Nuakhai with my mother.Little did we know that it would be the last one. And 2020 being the pandemic stricken year, two of my sisters were with us due to lockdown and also celebrated with us the nuakhai.This year we didn't celebrate because on 22nd January 2021 my mother passed away due to old age problems.Until a year passes by celebrations are usually not held, and when the eldest of the family after my father being my mother it has to be followed.
A picture from the year 2020 Nuakhai bhet at home during the pandemic.
This was the last Nuakhai with my mother.
NUAKHAI JUHAR🙏