Sun Sep 08 03:35:39 UTC 2024: – Festive spirit gripped western Odisha as people celebrated Nuakhai, the agrarian festival, with zeal and zest
– Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season and to thank deities for good crops and weather
– First harvested crop is offered to the goddess Samaleswari in Sambalpur
– Family members eat together, offer prasad, and worship household deities
– Nuakhai signifies prosperity, gratitude, and community bonding
– Celebrated day after Ganesh Chaturthi in Hindu month of Bhadraba (August-September)
– Festival reinforces values of gratitude, community bonding, and respect for nature’s bounty
– People dress in traditional attire, exchange gifts, seek blessings from elders to celebrate the cultural richness of western Odisha.

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