City Pulse

Nuakhai is a major festival of Orissa. Nuakhai is a festival observed by the mass over the entire western Orissa, particularly Sambalpuri cultural area. Nuakhai is observed welcoming the new rice-paddy of the season. In this point of view, one can say that this is an agricultural based festival. No one for sure, can tell since how long this tradition is continuing. It is rather difficult to ascertain any age, as ‘Arnna’ rice paddy, is offered to the Gods since long. Hindu philosophy and pantheism believes Arnna to be Brahma. Again Arnna is attributed to Goddesses Laxmi, hence on the day of Nuakhai Laxmi Puja is observes as well. Nuakhai has been observed by different tribes in different names, as the Dud Khadia and Pahadi Khadia called it as Jeth Nowakhiaa the Oram called it NowaKhani, the Munda called Jam-nowa, the Santhali called it Janthar and Baihar Horo Nawabai, the Birjia called it Nawaba and Jam-nowa, the Parajas of Bastar and Orissa called as Nowa-aani, Bihara called it Nowa-jam. In Chotta Nagapur area the Ashur tribe which a sub-clan of the Birjhia called it as Nowaa. In Tripura the tribes called it Mikatal, in East Bengal it is known as Nabarnna.