Sambalpur: Sambalpur Prepares for Nuakhai Festival, City Readies for Celebration
Sambalpur: Nuakhai preparations are underway throughout the district and the city. Cleaning and decoration work has been completed at almost every local temple, including the Samaleswari Temple. Similarly, households perform extensive cleaning. This year’s Nuakhai in Sambalpur is expected to be especially significant, as Odisha’s Chief Minister will attend the city’s traditional first harvest meal, Nabanna. With his visit confirmed, the Samaleswari Temple Trust and the local administration are moving quickly to prepare for the event.
Nuakhai Preparations Begin Weeks in Advance
In Western Odisha, Nuakhai preparations usually begin 15 days before the festival. In Sambalpur, the preparations begin with the Lagna Dekha ritual, in which priests determine the most auspicious time for the celebration. A procession then proceeds to the Samaleswari Temple, where the Lagna Patra (auspicious time letter) is presented to the deity. In many villages, the Behera (village head) announces the lagna (auspicious time) through formal invitations, a practice known as Beheren. Despite the fact that modernity has crept into the festival, some villages continue to practice this tradition.
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Homes Undergo Extensive Cleaning
Following the Lagna announcement, households begin deep cleaning, known locally as “Sadbaaj”. Almost every family in Sambalpur begins preparations two weeks before Nuakhai, and after the announcement, house cleaning is expedited. Whether in Sambalpur or its surrounding villages, signs of preparation can be found everywhere. Women are cleaning clothes, and many homes are whitewashing their walls. This cleaning tradition is an important part of the Nuakhai celebration, which dates back to ancient times.
The Custom of Family Gathering for ‘DakaHaka’
Following cleaning, the “DakaHaka” tradition begins, in which family members, no matter where they are, are invited back home by family elders to celebrate together. It is a time when everyone gathers under one roof to eat freshly harvested food. This tradition of cleanliness and family bonding exemplifies the cultural values that Nuakhai represents in Sambalpur and throughout Western Odisha.
