The COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on the festive spirit of mass agrarian festival “Nuakhai” which will be celebrated on August 23. This year, there would be no Nuakhai Bhetghat, an integral part of the festival.

Nuakhai or Nuankhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Odisha. Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. According to the calendar it is observed on panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhadraba (August–September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. This is the most important social festival of Western Odisha and adjoining areas of Simdegain Jharkhand, where Odia culture is much predominant.

The date of the festival was not fixed in old times but nowadays date of the festival is decided in advance by the main priest of the community according to the Hindu calendar. People celebrate the festival on previously set date whether crops are ripened or not.

The date of Nuakhai is fixed since 1991 on Bhadraba Sukla Panchami Thithi. Currently people worship Goddess Laxmi on the day of Nuakhai. People wear new and traditional attires. Elders of the family first offer Nua to the deity and later distribute it among the family members. All family members take blessings from the elders for happiness and prosperity in their life. People greet their relatives and friends in the afternoon. They sing and perform their traditional Sambalpuri dances like Rasakeli, Dalkhai, Maelajada, Sajani and more. People who are migrated to other states of India also celebrate Nuakhai with same traditional values and fascination. Nuakhai festival is a symbol of Sambalpuri culture and it reminds people of the Odisha the importance of agriculture in one’s life.