Nabanna offering to Maa Sureshwari of Sonepur on Nuakhai today

Sonepur: The presiding deity of Sonepur Maa Sureshwari was offered the Nabanna today on the occasion of Nuakhai.

The revered Goddess Sureshwari, Bhagabati, Khambeswari, Samaleswari, Budhisamalai of this region are offered RajBhog. Top quality paddy, moong, ghee, Gur (jaggery), vegetables and pie are also offered. A panchamruta of paddy, ghee etc is also offered to Maa.

With drumbeats, echoes of Mahuri and other musical instruments a procession around the city called the Pahur Jatra is carried out on the eve of Nuakhai.  This includes the vegetables, gold jewellery, ghee, moong, new grains, clothes, Kurei patra etc for Maa.

At first, the procession will begin from Sureshwari and then will go to eight such revered Goddesses. The people will be informed after the Nabanna offerings who can then have their food.

‘Nuakhai’ or Nabanna festival is celebrated to welcome the new paddy crop every year. On this auspicious day, farmers offer new grain to Maa Samaleswari to welcome the new crop. After having the new rice as the offering to the God, later in the afternoon people enjoy themselves organising dance, games etc.

As a significant feature of the festival, younger members seek blessings from their elders in the family as well as the village for good fortune. People also greet each other with a new spirit in a ritual called ‘Nuakhai Bhet’ in local parlance on this day.