Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 : The Nuakhai, an agricultural festival, is being celebrated with traditional pomp and gaiety across Western Odisha on Sunday.

This annual festival marks the harvest of new crops of the season which people partake in after offering the 'Nabanna (the first harvested rice crop of the season)' to their presiding deities and ancestors. The offering is made to the deities at a specified time or 'Lagna' and 'Tithi'. It is the most important festival in the western part of the state.

As per the tradition, the Nabanna was offered to Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, between 9.12 a.m. and 9.27 a.m. on Sunday. Nabanna was also offered to Goddesses Pataneswari in Balangir and Manikeswari in Kalahandi, and other places.

All family members assemble on the occasion and relish the delicacies made from newly harvested crops. One of the significant parts of the festival is the 'Juhar bhet' ritual, an exchange of greetings with friends, relatives, and well-wishers. People get the blessings of their elders by greeting them with 'Nuakhai Juhar'.

'I extend my hearty greetings to all the countrymen, especially the people of Odisha, on Nuakhai. Nuakhai is a great festival of our agriculture-based life. This is also an opportunity to express gratitude towards the farmers of the country. I wish that this festival brings happiness and prosperity in everyone's life,' greeted President Droupadi Murmu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and others greeted the people of Odisha on the occasion of the Nuakhai festival on Sunday.

'Nuakhai Juhar! My best wishes on the special occasion of Nuakhai. We express gratitude to our hardworking farmers and appreciate their efforts for our society. May everyone be blessed with joy and good health,' PM Modi wrote on his X handle.

CM Mohan Majhi also greeted the people wishing for happiness and prosperity. CM Majhi along with Union Education Minister Pradhan and other senior leaders had a 'darshan' of Goddess Samaleswari in Sambalpur.

/IANS