Sambalpur: Western Odisha is festive for Nuakhai
Sambalpur: A festival of culture, tradition, brotherhood and pride. Livelihood Festival, Farming and Farmer’s Festival. The entire Western Odisha is festive for Nuakhai. On Wednesday, the great festival was celebrated in Western Odisha. Nuakhai Festival has proved once again that it is very unique and special. Every village and town of the Chhattisgarh border region, including Western Odisha, has celebrated this festival in a grand manner in every house and family. With great happiness in everyone’s mind and new hope, reap the crops and offer them to God. After taking blessings, ate together with the whole family. The whole year ahead will be good. Mother will help us in times of danger.
According to the pre-scheduled launch, on Wednesday from 10:27 am to 10:42 pm, Nabanna Bhog was performed at Bichha Lagna Tula Navashane, the goddess mother of Sambalpur, Samaleswari. Before this, the devotees decorated the mother with new clothes and jewellery. In the puja, with full determination and discipline, nabanna vog (numan chaul chura), kheeri, pitha, saru saag etc. were prepared for the mother in new grain. The worshipers arrived at the temple carrying new items and puja items in the courtyard. After enjoying the mother’s presence, the worshipers went around with great puja and offered their offerings to the goddess. Later, a special ceremony was held. After Nabanna, the doors of the temple were opened for the darshan of common devotees. During Nabanna Puja, the temple courtyard was filled with the gathering of devotees. The temple complex was shaken by the sound of huluhuli.
In the same way, in Patnagarh, mother Patneswari was firmly attached to Nabanna Bhog. In Balangir, mothers Samleswari and Patneswari were offered new crops with love and devotion. In Sonepur, the goddess mother Sureshwari. Baba Jhareshwar was worshiped in Jharsuguda. In Sundergarh, Bargarh, Barpali, Sarangar in Chhattisgarh, Rayagarh, etc., Mother Sameleswari was worshipped. In Nuapada district, people worshiped the goddess according to tradition. Farmers went to their fields and worshiped Matimaa and poured milk. Today there was rain in half of Kalahandi district. On the next 10th Tithi, Nuakhai will be celebrated in Maa Manikeswari along with Navanna in other parts of the district. Gomata was also worshiped on the occasion of Nuakhai. On Wednesday, the NuaKhai festival started in every family after the offerings of the Nua Bhog. After all the family members wear new clothes and sit together, the senior members distribute new food prasad to everyone. They all ate it together. All the houses were filled with new pleasures. After the ceremony, the Gurujans were blessed with Zuhar, the head of the Guru blessed the younger ones. After that family members, the villagers, Pada’s friends, and neighbors were met by Zuhar Vet.
In the afternoon there were games, dances, songs, hymns and kirtans in the villages. It could not be done properly on Wednesday due to rain. In the cities too, various institutions organized Nuakhai vetghat programs. On this occasion, there were various programs like poetry reading, hymns, Sambalpuri dance, singing, and sweet eating competitions. Similarly, in all the temples of Western Odisha, a crowd of devotees was seen in the morning for the darshan of the goddess, while in the afternoon, the number of devotees decreased due to rain. Even though the Nuakhai festival ends, the Vet Ghat program will continue for many more days. Nuakhai Vet Ghat programs are organized by different institutions on different days.
