Nuakhai Festival

Nuakhai Festival is also known as Nuakhai Parab, Nuakhai Bhetghat, or Navakhai Parav in the different regions of the county. The word Nua stands for New and Khai means food, which is translated to the New Food, is an ancient festival that has been celebrated for years in the region of Odisha as well as the other states of Odisha.

The festival is an agriculture festival for the people of Odisha. The festival holds immense significance among the farmer’s community as it revolves around expressing gratitude for the first crop of the season. This festival is celebrated on the Panchmai tithi of the Bhadraba month which is from August to September. A few days after Ganesh Chaturthi.

The Nuakhai Festival is celebrated throughout India. The festival is celebrated in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Southern parts of the country. Nuakhai is celebrated with great enthusiasm and with several traditional rituals that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Odisha.

History Of Nuakhai Juhar

The Nuakhai festival was first celebrated by the Chauhan King named Ramai Deva, who was the founder of Patna, which is now part of Balangir district. He built an independent kingdom, the king realized the importance of settled agriculture due to the subsistence economy of the people in the area, which was primarily based on hunting and food gathering.

The king came to realize that this form of the economy could not generate any surplus required to maintain and sustain a state. During the district formation of the Sambalpur region, the Nuakhai as a ritual played a major role in promoting agriculture as a way of life. Thus the credit can be given to Ramai Deva for making Nuakhai a symbol of Sambalpuri’s Cultural heritage.

Nuakhai finds its roots in the agricultural heritage of the state, which has a history of rice cultivation dating back a thousand years. Being the staple crop rice cultivation played an important role in shaping the agricultural practices, culture, and tradition of the people of Odisha.

Why the Nuakhai Festival is Celebrated

The nuakhai festival is celebrated to mark the arrival of the harvest season and express gratitude towards nature. The nuakhai festival holds deep significance in agriculture and the cultural, and religious importance of Odisha.

The festival signifies the time when farmers start harvesting their first crops, usually rice. The festival also shows gratitude to nature for providing such a good harvest. People offer their first harvested crop to the god and goddess.

Highlights of the Nuakhai Festival

• The word Nua stands for New and Khai means food, which is translated to the New Food
• This festival is celebrated on the Panchmai tithi of the Bhadraba month which is from August to September. A few days after Ganesh Chaturthi.
• The festival is celebrated to welcome the season’s newly harvested rice.
• The nuakhai festival is celebrated with Nabanna Offering to Goddess Samleswafri during the particular time. Nabanna means Nobo-Onno or new rice.
• Nuakhai Juhar is sharing gifts with one’s loved ones, wishing them on the occasion, and coming together as a family, symbolizing unity.
• The festival also shows gratitude to nature for providing such a good harvest.
• The preparation of nuakhai begins two weeks before the actual beginning of the festival.

Nuakhai Festival 2022

The Nuakhai was celebrated on 1st September in  2022.

Nuakhai 2023

The Nuakhai is  celebrated on the 20th of September

Nuakhai 2024

The Nuakhai was celebrated on 8th September 2024.

How to Reach Odisha

The nuakhai festival is celebrated in  Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, sundargrh. Nuapada, Sonepur, Boudh and Jharsuguad district of Odisha. And to reach there,

By Air

The state capital of Odisha is Bhubaneswar and the major gateway to the state. The Biju Patnaik International Airport in the city is well connected to the major cities of Odisha and some of the international destinations. You can easily check out the flights on the internet and can fly to Bhubaneswar from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, etc. After reaching the airport you can easily travel to the other parts of the state.

By Train

The state of Odisha is well connected to the Railway networks, major cities like Cuttack, Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Sambalpur have railway stations that are linked with serval parts of the country. Trains like Duronto, Rajdhani, and various express trains connect the state to major cities of India.

By Road

You can also visit Odisha by road through the National Highways. The state is well-connected to its neighboring states like Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. Odisha’s road network is fairly good, but time travel can vary depending on the destination

Frequently Asked Questions