BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition in Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra on Friday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to declare two days of local holiday for the celebration of the Nuakhai festival in Western Odisha. Stating that the government has declared September 1 as a holiday for Nuakhai this year, the leader of the Opposition, in a letter to the CM said the district administrations are not allowing government employees and the general public to celebrate the festival for two days.
“Therefore, I request the State government to announce two days of a local holiday in Western Odisha for the celebration of the annual festival,” he added. Stating that newly-harvested crop is offered to Goddess Samalei, Goddess Manikeswari and many other deities in Western Odisha as part of the Nuakhai celebration, Mishra said people celebrate the festival with their friends and relatives in a grand manner. Those who stay outside Odisha usually rush to their native places to celebrate Nuakhai, he said, adding people staying outside the country also celebrate the festival with much enthusiasm.