Nua Khai

Nuakhai is an agriculture festival celebrated primarily in western Odisha by farmers to thank ‘Mother Earth’ for being so bountiful. The festival is often compared to Onam in Tamil Nadu.

Celebration

Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season on the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. According to the Kosali calendar it is observed on panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhaadra (August–September). It was the time when the newly grown Kharif crop (autumn crop) of rice started ripening. The word nua means new and khai means food, so the name means the farmers are in possession of the newly harvested rice. It has a big significance for farmers and the agricultural community. The festival celebrated at a particular time of day which is called lagan. Arsaa pitha is prepared to celebrate this festival. When the lagan comes, the people first remember their village god or goddess and then have their nua.

celebration is best in the Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Boudh and Nuapada districts of Odisha. Nuakhai is special agricultural festival of Kosali people. They initiate preparations for the event 15 days in advance. Nuakhai is understood to have nine colours and as a consequence nine sets of rituals are followed as a prelude to the actual day of celebration. These nine colours include:

• Beheren (announcement of a meeting to set the date)
• Lagna dekha (setting the exact date for partaking of new rice)
• Daka haka (invitation)
• Sapha sutura and lipa puchha (cleanliness)
• Ghina bika (purchasing)
• Nua dhan khuja (looking for the new crop)
• Bali paka (final resolve for Nuakhai by taking the Prasad (the offering) to the deity)
• Nuakhai (eating the new crop as Prasad after offering it to the deity, followed by dancing and singing)
• Juhar bhet (respect to elders)