NUAKHAI - The Harvest Festival

NUAKHAI -The Harvest Festival  of  WESTERN ODISHA-Paschim Odisha

 

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🙏

The playful monkey

 This reminds me of a small hand picked game that was made of a thick wire about 8 to 10 inches and in it was attached a plastic monkey that would climb up as you turn down the wired stick and the moment you hold it straight, the monkey slides down.

The picture below resembles something like that and further more the real one in its fun mood in the video.

This is a picture taken at the workshop of the craftman/potter.

Pic credit: Google

This video below was taken a couple of days back when I suddenly say a monkey jumping and playing on top of a house and using the overhead tank pipes as a playing rod. A moment to be captured which instantly took me back to the childhood days. 

The reality show was much more fun though!

video recorded live

 

Here's another one looking for some more bananas.

A banana on one hand.

A daily dose of Yoga or exercises to keep oneself healthy and motivated.

 

International Yoga Day celebrated every year on 21^st June being the longest day of the year . This day is celebrated since 2015 every year as the International Day of Yoga and is followed across the group by all those who practice yoga and also a day to start up for those who would like to begin with the practice. However everyday is a yoga day because it has almost become part of many a people who have taken up to live a healthy life with yoga. It becomes imperative for all to practice some forms and postures that one is comfortable with. However, with the practice of yoga under the guidance of a trainer is more important.

Yoga works on throughout the body giving it more flexibility, better posture , it improves focus and concentration, gives a healthy mind and body.

While we have all the advantages of practicing Yoga, we should be strongly determined to build our mind and body in giving it the right form and posture, not only is yoga a  physical practice but also a mental and spiritual practice.

I feel that everybody should make it a point to practice yoga every day so that the day goes on well.

Yoga, actually makes our body flexible “from my previous experience” though I stopped for reasons known and unknown. But have been fluctuating with that practicing and not quite intermittently. But on a serious note feel that one should continue it without break and I talk for myself too!

This day is a sort of reminder for each of us to feel the continuity of getting ourselves more concerned about our physical and mental wellbeing. And not just this day, each day should be taken with such seriousness for one own self and and also let others know about it through such awareness programs.

                                                       

When I had a ligament fracture and was on casting for three weeks, the post mobility and lack of proper physiotherapy gave a slight stiffness at my back  and the ankle of course had some stiffness which I realized much later but however tried to do some bending exercises rotating of foot which helped.

Some postures here, these actually made me realize that a regular exercise and yoga would actually help us getting more flexibility and movement of body and would keep us more active physically as against with some restrictions and stiffness of the body which occur as a result of lack of such a practice.

Yoga or exercise, it's important for us to keep ourselves healthy both physically and mentally. But at the same time it is important to consult a physician before one takes up yoga. Depending upon ones health whether its advisable or not. Therefore both yoga instructor or trainer and a physician both should work together so as to look into the benefits of yoga and thereby advise their patients to practice. Otherwise for all yoga is supposed to benefit. Every individual should take up unless one has health issues but can also consult their doctors. 

Now that India has been celebrating the 9th year of International Yoga Day. At the international platform  yoga has become a day to day practice for many. The campaign has reached far and wide.

Amongst the masses many still fear to take up yoga because they either feel their body wont support or they have never been recommended by their doctors.

More often it is seen that doctors do not recommend a yoga practice, thats probably because Medicine and yoga are yet to run side by side. No wonder it is said yoga has cure to certain diseases but it is yet to be accepted in the medical profession since doctors hardly recommend yoga as a wayvto cure. 

Although practising yoga eases one's mind an body and does work out internally. But as far as medically it goes there needs to taken more research and it would be good if hospitals also have yoga centers. Institutions to have yoga courses, and training centers.

The ministry of Ayush has already started yoga courses of different levels.

Yoga is said

·         improves flexibility

·         helps relieving stress

·        improves mental health

·        increases strength

·        reduces anxiety

·        improves quality of life

·        boosts immunity

Stay Happy Stay Healthy!

Radio- The medium of Communication

The theme for the 12th edition of the World Radio Day, today, 13 February 2023, is

 "Radio and Peace".

Radio has always been the most preferred mode of communication that is very mobile and portable - it means that it can be carried to anywhere alongwith, due to its portability and size that made it convinient to carry. Memory of a radio goes back to anyone's childhood of our age and yes the radio in transistor has taken place in this age too in mobile phones, vehicles as well. The radio FM  in mobile phones.

The old vintage Radio.

Here's a picture that's quite similar to the radio that used to be at home if not the same color or the make but the look of a table radio.with speakers wide across and knobs to change the bandwidth.

(pic credit:Google)

 

My memory of a radio and transistor goes back to my childhood since early 70s when we had a table radio that would start with the morning vandanas and then news. I was too young to handle that but then gradually as i grew up there was this National Panasonic transistor that was handled by my elder sisters who would listen to the radio.

This is the National Panasonic transistor that we used to listen , the Binaca Geet Mala,which later became the Cibaca Geet Mala. that was a weekly,apart from the morning news, bhajans and other songs in various bands.

Binaca Geetmala was a weekly broadcasted film songs from Hindi cinema on Radio Ceylon from 1952 to 1988 and then shifted to the Vividh Bharati Service of All India Radion in 1989 till 1994.

 It was compered by the Mr. Amin Sahani.

Its a two speaker transistor with a tuning battery and the indicator that had 3 defined bands the 

National Panasonic Model R-357D with  frequency range with 3 D size batteries capacity.

MW - Medium Wave,SW1 - Short Wave,SW2 - Short Wave which was controlled by a 3 band knob to the down right of the transistor.

The upper knob directed the indicator controlling the tuning. the second knob is the fine tuning.

To the left were the on off- volume control, tone.

An extendable ariel to the top left to catch the bandwidth. 

At the left top corner is a white small switch for dial light.

The transistor had an earphone. And used to run with batteries.

The wait for every week Binaca geetmala, the countdown hindi film songs, and the top song would make the day.

Not only songs, news even the cricket commentry became the much heard game live broadcast that would keep every other individual who posessed a radio transistor would even carry on the move whether on vehicle, or a bicycle or on the walk. Almost every Indians favourite game the commentry became the much wider coverage of the game live and listened on the point. 

This small handy Philips transistor was my favourite that I bought while I was in my post graduation. Bought to listen to news and music. The look is the same as it was then.However, gradually the radio listeners declined because of the television that revolutionized every home, replacing the radio that was only a listeners' choice once to the audio-visual system. The mode of media and visual quite apparntly became the preferred choice with multiple channels. Nevertheless, Radio definitely was more focussed because the audio reception being considered faster than video. As NeuroScientist Seth Horowitz. "You hear anywhere from 20 to 100 times faster than you see."

 

But then the radio/transistor will always have a special place. Due to its wider coverage and less diverted. It definitely relaxed one's mood. 

The theme of the year  2022 edition of World Radio Day was  "Radio and Trust". 

Lata Mangeshkar - The Nightingale of India

 

Lata Mangeshkar, was better known as the nightingale of India. A voice that reached millions and millions of hearts across the world. She remained an icon and the divine blessed with Maa Saraswati on this earth.Though she has left this world but has definitely found a place amongst the Gods. The name itself Lata Mangeshkar is larger than life. She will remain through her music, her soft spoken and melodious voice in the hearts of millions.  

As a child, her name was familiar in our house, like in every other home. Her soft voice, her songs has been heard over and over again through the transistors, in cinemas and her live performances that we watched on the television. We find ourselves fortunate having watched her interviews on the television and having watched her singing live on the television. I am one amongst the millions fans of Lata Ji. I remember having seated on the verandah of our house when I was a child and I use to listen to the songs played in the cinema hall during the running of the movie Shor. One such song thats my all time favourite "Ek pyar ka nagma" which I used to listen intensely and it kept looping in my head.

"Ek Pyar ka nagma hai" casting Manoj Kumar and Nanda and the song sung by Lata Mangeskar and Mukesh. Movie 'Shor'

Now the list of songs will go on and on.... just to note down a few here

Tere bina zindegi se koi, from Aandhi

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye from Anand

Piya Bina Piya Bina ( Abhimaan)

Sun re pawan, pawan pur (Anurag)

Naam ghum jayega (Kinara)

O Basanti (Jis desh mein Ganga Beheti hai)

Kahin deep jale kahin dil (Bees saal baad)

E Malik tere ( Do Aankhen Barah Haath).......the list goes on

Excerpts from some of her interviews with various Media 

In one of her interview she had said "Given a chance to be born again, she would not like to be born as Lata Mangeshkar because she only knows what it is like to be born as Lata Mangeshkar and what all problems and difficulties that she had to face.

She always said her voice was gift of God and her natural talent was 75% and the rest was the hardwork, riyaz.

She said she ate curd, chilli, pickle and that there was nothing as not to eat or fussy about keeping one's voice. But she was however disciplined in food of course. Her father used to advise that the voice should keep working well. 

She also said that the spirit in music that was earlier is no longer the same. The 1940s-70s was a very good period in the singing sphere. Not many of us know that Lata Mangeshkar was once rejected because of her thin voice. Ayega ane wala was the song she quite symbolizes with those period.

Amongst Patriotic, her first song was Vande Mataram.Her song Ae mere watan ki logon... on 26th Jan 1963 which brought tears in the eyes of PM Jawaharlal Nehru brought tears in the eyes of Pt. Jawarharlal Nehru. 

She never used to sing before her father but always before her mother. At the age of 4 or 5 yrs she said she heard a song, which a student of her father was singing she went on to correct the student and then her father heard and then he realized that he had a singer at home. And she started learning from her father.

Coming from a very conservative family. Her father had a drama company. At the age of 9 yrs old while in solapur in the drama company , there was a classical program going to be held in the theatre and on hearing that she requested her father, she would sing thambavati raag which he taught, and he agreed then she was allowed to sing first. 

In an interview, she said that her First song recorded in 1942 March a Marathi film to which her father first denied her singing into films, but when his friend who composed the music insisted and then she sang but then in April her father Dinanath Mangeskar expired. Her life changed thereon, she started working, she was offered to act in movies at a very young age, she was paid Rs.300 having worked and sang in the film.

Eartler she started acting because she had to run the familly after her father's death. Playback career started ar the age of 15 or 16. In 1947  she started playback singing . Initially since she was too young she could hardly understand how things went she would go for recording and even without having any food. She had no knowledge about the canteen for food and tea. Her struggle marked she would walk down to the studio for recording. 

Yet in another interview she says that Bombay Talkies has a special meaning to her. Her playback singing started in Bombay talkies.

She started her acting career but never liked it because she never liked  the make-up and all. And she always wanted to sing. Though initially she was rejected because of her thin voice. Ayega ane wala her first breakthrough song of Mahal. She became too busy. As were the news around Lata Mangeshkar didn't allow other singers to sing but she herself very well has made it clear that she never blocked any other singer or singers from singing. However, the purity in her songs that she sang from the soul has always given a clear message to listeners and music lovers that she cannot do such a thing. 

For music lover like us, what would be her fault if music composers and directors would choose songs that would suit only her voice. 

She even said that she never sung for music director O P Nayyar because he thought her voice never suit his music. 

So with around 25000 to 30,000 songs in her career time.She sang different type of songs with music composers like S D Burman, RD Burman to AR Rehman. 

In the new generation composers she worked with  A R Rehman  and amongst singers she liked Singers Sonu Nigam and Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and Sunidhi Chauhan who sings quite differently.

    The Melody Queen

In this picture she says she is a fan of Sachin Tendulkar.

The reaction of Sachin Tendulkar is very obvious.

Some facts not known about Lata Ji.Apart from music Lata ji  had interest in Cricket and PhotographyLata ji was passonate about cricket and she also said she was a fan of Sachin Tendulkar. Her contribution to post '83 shows her love for cricket.

Lata ji was very fond of  photograpy and loved to click photographs.An outstanding photographer that she was.

The Photographer

Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India lives on..............

She is divine, she is immoral.

This was a sketch I tried on 29th September 2019

(All Pic credit: Google)

Covid phase in the family

 Our family 7 of us were down with covid. As soon as i tested positive, we tried to find out ways how to get a home collection possible because, oe of my sister who had come from Sambalpur had a fractured knee another was unwell and then we have a cerebralpalsy child. I tried reaching out to ppl over phone.I approached over a msg to and I am thankful to Sri Suresh Pujari Sir MP Bargarh and Mr.Murli Sir Chairman Vikas for their prompt reply and Vikas admin for making it possible to get tested at home.

While five members were found positive and one negative after myself .In a day the negative member also showed symptoms.

All of us were home isolated and taking consultation over phone with doctors. According got treated and gradually recovering.

The first few day when I was alone was quite depressing, sometimes anxiety,worriedness, getting panic over how could it happen but these are normal to happen in a situation like that.However, it has to be strongly faced and so did I. Was the same with others too. But we all faced it boldly and its just another viral or a flu.

More and more people are gettig cold, fever and other such symptoms but are abstaining from testing which otherwise would not only give a proper direction for treatment and medical consultation but at the same time make people aware of the rise in cases and take precautionary measures of covid guidelines and look forward to getting controlled.

Drink lots of fluids, preferably luke warm to warm.Avoid cold food in any form. Fruits , fresh cooked food, non vegetables a source of proteins,Vitamins. Have dry fruits. Eat healthy, stay healthy.

Some breathing exercises, steam inhaler, are a way to keep nasal passages clear. 

Keep handy the medicines preferably paracetamol, cough syrup, cetrizine,le zyncet, for anti biotics consult doctor. Vicks vaporub for cold. Consulting the doctor over telephone/mobile with updates is important.

As per the new guidelines if a person doesn't have  fever for the last 3 consecutive days of the 7 days isolation then the person is out of the isolation period and there is no need to go for a test.

A special THANKS to those like the groceries  shops, medicines shops and the daily needs shops who actually home delivers the essentials and needs making it easy for people to stay home and get everything right at their point of reach.

Masks On

Although people seem to have put down the masks everywhere be it the markets, common places, offices too like some where I visited saw staffs without masks.

The awareness have been very much delegated to reach people but still the virus finds its way like for us it did even after being careful enough, may be we have had some way for it, even a minor negligence on one's part gives a way. 

My sincere request to all, don't take it lightly and be very careful in all aspect outside and home.

When you are out put mask preferably N 95, maintain social distance, hand sanitization.

Follow the three golden rules.

But dont get Positive

For being Negative oneself is the New Positive.

#coronavirus 

Swabhaba Kabi - Gangadhar Meher

Gangadhar Meher who is popularly known as Swabhaba Kabiwas born in Barpali,in the district of Bargarh on the 9^thof August 1862.He started writing poems at a very young age. Rasa Ratnakara being his first poem. Having had his education till 5th std, but his passion for reading and gaining knowledge  and and further writing poems had nothing to do with his education.He also helped his father in weaving. His weaving was as intricate as his writing a poem. He married when he was 10 yrs old. Though he had to discontinue his studies because of the poverty in which they lived. But his writings and poems were that of golden verses.Apart from Odia he read extensively in Bengali and Sanskrit..

The then zamindar of Barpali offered him the position of  an Amin known as Patwari then,later on he got promoted to Moharir and served in that post in Sambalpur, Bijepur and Padampur , and then later  got transferred to Barpali .

His literatary works has been a part in the Post graduation courses in the University Gangadhar Meher College/ University Sambalpur has been named after him.

Notable Works of Gangadhar Meher are as follows:

Rasa Ratnakara, Tapaswini

Pranaya Ballari, Kichaka Badha, Indumati

Padmini, Ayodhya Drusya

From his poem “Tapaswini”

“Mangale Aila Usha Bikacha Rajiba Drisha Janaki Darshana Trisha Hrudaye Bahi Karapallebenihara Mukta dhari Upahara Sarinka basa bahara Prangae Rahi Kala kantha Kanthe Kahila Darashana  Dia Sati Rati Pahila”

Bel - Wood Apple

Our Odia calender says Hanuman Jayanti and Pana sankranti celebrated on 14 April .. every year it is around the same date.  But the Internet shows Hanuman Jayanti  today, 31st March 2018 this year which is a Purnima. 

Hanuman Jayanti is the birthday of Lord Hanuman Ji.

The logic not understood,  I am a little confused though. 

The name varies with region :

• English name: Wood apple
• Arabic: Safarjale
• Bengali: Belpatthar ka paid
• Hindi: Bael
• Marathi: Belaache zaad
• Tamil: Vilvamaran
• Sinhala: Beli
• Gujarati: Billu
• Kannada: Belladi hannu
• Konkani: Gorakamili
• Malyalam: Koolam
• Marathi: Bel
• Odia: Baela
• Urdu: Bael
• Indonesia: Maja
• Thai: Matum

A little about Pana Sankranti, considered to be the Birthday of Hanuman  Ji. Mostly in Odisha the Panna is made from the bael fruit. Juice from the fruit pulp with some ingingredie added to relish the flavor. The ingredients and procedure goes below. 

The Nobel Laureate visits our home

It was more than excitement receiving the Nobel Laureate Mr. Kailash Satyarthi and his wife Mrs. Sumedha Satyarthi at our home. Well, he is the father in law of my Neice. Having known him and seen him for some years now. There is so much to learn from him. A man of peace towards peace with so much of warmth and pure by heart. Blessed are we, I must say.

We were honored to have him amongst us.Both Bhaisaab and Didi as I call them visited the two grandparents homes of their daughter-in-law. Samdhi Ji and Samdhen Ji along with their Samdhi,  my brother-in-law Mr. Anantaram Barik, sister is in Delhi. My mother and my jiju's mother were too happy for their expressions shows that.

People just wanted to have a  glance, some wanted to take a snaps and the students of the adjoining girls  hostel wanted to have a glance from their rooftop. He waved and said why are you all standing there be careful.. Some Students rushed to take autographs. His love for children is perceivable.

A wonderful moment though only a family affair that was not much of public around except for few of them.

Thank you Bhaisaab and Didi for this visit. We would look forward to more visits explore this region of Odisha.