Auspicious time for Nuakhai’s ‘Nabanna’ ceremony finalised

Bhubaneswar, Aug 6: The auspicious timing for the ‘Nabanna’ ritual during the Nuakhai festival in Balangir, Western Odisha, has been set. The festival will take place on September 8, which is the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Bhadraba. The ‘Nabanna,’ or offering of the new crop, will be made to the deities between 9:35 am and 10:06 am, as per an announcement from the Shailashree Palace household office.

This timing was determined based on the zodiac signs and star alignments of Maa Pataneswari and the king of Patanagarh.

Originally an agrarian festival celebrating the new harvest, Nuakhai has evolved into a major event celebrated with great enthusiasm across several districts, including Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Kalahandi, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Boudh, and Sonepur.

In rural areas, the festival is marked by community gatherings known as ‘Nuakhai Bhet Bhat,’ where younger members seek blessings from elders with the traditional greeting ‘Nuakhai Juhar.’ The occasion often features community feasts or the sharing of homemade dishes among neighbors and family.