BHAWANIPATNA: The agrarian festival of Nuakhai was celebrated with traditional flavour across Kalahandi district on Sunday. The festival is celebrated in phases in Western Odisha.
As per the tradition, Navanna (newly harvested rice) was offered to Maa Manikeswari, the presiding deity of Bhawanipatna, by the priest and Gond headman in the morning. Later, the heads of each family offered Navanna to their home deities and ancestors.
Following the ritual, hundreds of devotees made a beeline for the temple for darshan and offered prayers. Family members cooked new rice with milk, sugar and other traditional items and ate together.
After Nuakhai, they greeted each other in a special cultural function called ‘Nuakhai Bhetghat’. Some families, having traditional musical instruments like ‘Ghumura’ and ‘Nishan’, also gave offerings to the equipment. As per tradition, ‘Ghumura’ artistes came out to the streets playing folk music and performing martial dance. Music and dance programmes were also organised at different places in the evening.
The festival was also celebrated in Jaipatna, M Rampur, Thuamul Rampur, Karlapat, Mahulpatna and Lanjigarh areas of the district.