Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday authorised Revenue Divisional Commissioner (ND) to declare special local holiday for the day following Nuakhai on September 2 (Friday) for Sambalpur and Bargarh districts.
This came a day after the government announced that all banks and other banking institutions will remain closed on September 1 (Thursday), which was already declared a public holiday in Odisha.
Notably, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra had requested the chief minister to declare local holidays for two days in western Odisha to allow people to celebrate the festival.
Former Balangir MP Kalikesh Singhdeo had also sought 3-day holidays for all offices, banks, schools and others of western Odisha so that the people working in those institutions can go to their native places and celebrate Nuakhai with their families.
The festival is celebrated in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Kalahandi and other districts of western Odisha just after the rainy season. It is an agrarian festival where ‘Nabanna’ (porridge prepared from newly-harvested crop) is offered to Goddess Samalei, Goddess Manikeswari and many other deities in western Odisha. The oral tradition of Nuakhai dates back to the 12th century when this festival was celebrated by Chauvan Raja Ramai Deo at Patanagarh, which is currently in Balangir district.
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