Balangir: The ‘lagna’ (auspicious time) of offering ‘Nabanna’ (offering of new crop) to the presiding deity on the occasion of ‘Nuakhai’, an agrarian festival of western Odisha, in Balangir was announced on Tuesday.
The festival will be observed on September 8, the fifth day of the ‘sukla’ bright fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadraba, and ‘Nabanna’ will be offered to the presiding deities between 9.35 am and 10.06 am, said a release issued by Shailashree Palace household office.
The date and time of the lagna is finalised taking into account the zodiac and naxatra of Maa Pataneswari and the king of Patanagarh.
Though Nuakhai is basically an agrarian festival, which is celebrated with offering made from new crop , it has morphed into mass celebration in recent times. It is celebrated with pomp and gaiety in several districts including Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Kalahandi, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Boudh and Sonepur.
In villages, ‘Nuakhai Bhet Bhat’ (community meeting) is organised and younger people take blessings of the elders by wishing ‘Nuakhai Juhar’ (obeisance). Either a community feast is organised or people exchange the food prepared at their homes.
