Nuakhai Celebrated with Nabanna Offering at Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur

Sambalpur: The sacred Nabanna (newly harvested rice) was ceremonially offered to Maa Samaleswari at the Samaleswari Temple on the occasion of Nuakhai in Sambalpur district on Thursday.

The offering, conducted between 10:33 am and 10:55 am, was made with Nabanna sourced from three priests, following traditional rituals, chief priest Ambika Ray informed. After the offering, the temple doors were opened for devotees to have darshan of Maa Samalei.

On this occasion, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Panchayatiraj Minister Rabi Nayak, Sambalpur MLA Jaynarayan Mishra, along with their supporters, are scheduled to receive Nabanna at the Bhogamandap of the temple. Correspondents from 29 national-level media houses are also present to cover the festival, according to the Samaleswari Temple Trust Board.

About Nuakhai

Nuakhai is a major agrarian festival celebrated predominantly in western Odisha districts, including Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, and Bargarh. Observed on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight of Bhadraba, as per the Odia almanac, the festival marks the beginning of the harvest season and honors the significance of agriculture in the region.

The day begins with cleaning homes and preparing special delicacies made from the freshly harvested rice. The central ritual is offering the first grains of the new crop to the family deity or local goddess—such as Maa Samaleswari in Sambalpur and Maa Pataneswari in Balangir.

Following the rituals, families gather for a feast, sharing the new harvest with relatives and neighbors. Nuakhai emphasizes unity, family bonds, and reconciliation, with younger members seeking blessings from elders and communities coming together to celebrate nature’s abundance.