Nuakhai Juhar :

Nuakhai Juhar :

             Nuakhai, also called ''Nuakhai Parab'' or ''Nuakahi Bhetghat'' an agricultural festival of Orissa in general and that of Western Orissa in particular endorsing  the patrimonial nature of the Sambalpuri culture and society with a big significance for farmers and the agricultural community to the worship of food grain (the newly harvested rice ) is being celebrated every year with pomp and ceremony the day after the Ganesha Chaturthi festival. It has its best celebration in the districts of Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh Sundargarh Jharsuguda , Sonepur,  Boudh  and Nuapada .

Nuakhai is understood to have nine colours and as a consequence nine sets of rituals are followed as a prelude to the actual day of celebration.These nine colours include Beheren (announcement of a meeting to set the date), Lagna dekha (setting the exact date for partaking of new rice), Daka haka (invitation), Sapha sutura and lipa puchha (cleanliness), Ghina bika (purchasing), Nua dhan khuja (looking for the new crop), Bali paka (final resolve for Nuakhai by taking the Prasad (the offering) to the deity), Nuakhai (eating the new crop as Prasad after offering it to the deity, followed by dancing and singing), Juhar bhet (respect to elders).

             On the eve of this year’s Nukhai Bhetghat, the All India Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union, Orissa Circle Branch  sincerely extends its  cohesive and unified force of love to all the brothers and sisters of western Orissa and pray before Maa Samaleswari to fill their lives with the sweetness of ''lagan''. (Arisa pitha) for ever and bless them all so that the  enormity and variety of this unique festival may not be lost with a new look of homogeneity and uniformity.
Posted by N.C.Singh, Editor Orissa Dak Parivar