Naukhai Bhet Ghat
15 September 2024

Nuakhai is the harvest festival of Western Odisha. ‘Nua’ means new, and ‘Khai’ means to eat. The occasion marks the consumption of the first harvested crops and falls on the Bhadraba Shuklapakhya Panchami tithi, which is the day following Ganesh Chaturthi. It is the most important festival in the region and is an official holiday in Odisha.

Thanking the deity for giving us food for life has been an age-old tradition, with records tracing back to the Vedic times. The ancient sages had in fact devised the five important activities that should be followed by an agrarian society, every year. These activities together referred to as Pancha Yajna are –

Sita Yajna (tilling the land), Pravapana Yajna (sowing the seeds), Pralambana Yajna (the first crop cutting), Khala Yajna (harvesting of grains), and Prayayana Yajna (preservation of the produce). Nuakhai is believed to have been a celebration linked to the Pralambana Yajna or the first crop cutting. According to oral tradition, an organized method of celebrating Nuakhai was started by the founder of Patna state, Raja Ramai Deo in the 14th Century. The practice not only boosted the economy of the area but also brought about a feeling of brotherhood among his subjects.

Nuakhai is a festival that promotes mutual harmony and brotherhood. As our farmers are struggling relentlessly with uncertainties like drought due to low rainfall, and diseases due to indiscriminate use of pesticides, the festival of Nuakhai celebrates their hard work and struggle. It also celebrates farming as an occupation at a time when most youngsters are abandoning agriculture to opt for less challenging options. It is that celebration which year after year reminds the residents of the ten districts of Western Odisha that they are linked by the same culture and tradition and hence are one.