Sambalpur: Sambalpur Prepares for ‘Nuakhai’ Festival; Maa Samaleswari Temple Gets Ready for Nuakhai, Special Rituals Planned
Sambalpur: The sacred Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur is bustling with activity as preparations for the important ‘Nuakhai’ festival near their end. The temple authorities have prepared the temple for the festival. They have repainted the walls and completed all the necessary arrangements.
Artisans from Cuttack to Lead Final Preparations
On Wednesday, two expert artisans from Cuttack will arrive to clean and refurbish the temple premises. According to Ambika Prasad Ray, the temple’s chief priest, these artisans will ensure that the temple is immaculate for the upcoming festivities.
Important Rituals Ahead of Nuakhai
Nuakhai is one of the most important festivals in Sambalpur, during which locals offer Maa Samaleswari the first produce of their harvest. As part of the preparations, a special ritual involves applying sindoor (vermilion) to the temple’s 115 deities. The temple authorities will perform this ritual, usually reserved for Nuakhai, Dussehra, and the Chaitra month, this Friday. They have sourced approximately 4 kg of sindoor from local markets for this purpose.
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Temple’s Historic Ornaments to be Cleaned
On Saturday, the focus will be on cleaning and polishing the temple’s historic ornaments, which include the mukut (crown), two necklaces, anklets, nose ring, and forehead ornament. Many of these ornaments have been part of the temple’s history for decades, with some dating back to the reigns of the region’s kings. Other items were donated by devotees during the Dussehra festival. Sukman Saraf, a goldsmith with more than 30 years of experience, will oversee the cleaning process.
No Ann Prasad This Year Due to Ongoing Renovations
For the past four years, the temple has not distributed Ann Prasad (food offerings) to devotees for a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing temple renovations. This year won’t be any different. The Bhog Mandap, where the food was traditionally served, is still under construction. However, the temple board intends to distribute ‘Kanika Bhog’ (a sweet rice dish) to approximately 5,000 devotees instead.
Sanjay Babu, the chairman of the Samaleswari Temple Trust Board, confirmed, “We are doing everything possible to ensure that devotees celebrate the Nuakhai festival with all its traditional enthusiasm, despite the ongoing challenges.”
