Sambalpur: Thousands of people thronged the temple of Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, on the occasion of Nuakhai on Friday.
The season’s first crop (Nabanna) was offered to Goddess Samaleswari at 8:14 am, the stipulated lagna (auspicious moment).
The festival was also observed in homes, where the head of the family worshiped the household deity by offering rice and other food items. The Pasadena was then consumed by the family members.
To mark the occasion, several cultural and community programmes have been lined up for the evening.
Apart from the offering of new crop to the deity, the ‘Nuakhai Juhar’ is a famous ritual associated with the festival. It is about exchanging greetings with relatives, friends and well-wishers.
“The lagna is usually finalised by Brahma Mandap Pandit Mahasabha on Nanda Utsav, a day after the Janmashtami of Lord Krishna. The households will offer ‘Nabanna’ to their presiding deity and Goddess Laxmi as a mark of gratitude for a bumper harvest and favourable weather conditions for farming,” a priest said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendra Prasad Sharma and Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty greeted the people of western Odisha on the auspicious occasion.
