DHENKANAL: NUAKHAI, the agrarian festival marking new harvest, was celebrated at Mahima Gadi, the headquarters of Mahima religion, at Joranda on Sunday two days before the fete in western Odisha.
Thousands of sadhus and devotees across the State and outside thronged Joranda and participated in ‘Nabanna’ rituals. They offered prayer and ‘Nabanna’ to Mahima Gosain and the supreme soul of the universe on Amuhnia premises early on Sunday. Later, sadhus, led by Baba Nityananda, distributed ‘Nabanna’ among villagers at Bhikshya Mandap.
Sadhus and devotees from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and other States participated in the festival.