Nuakhai observed with traditional fervour

Bhubaneswar: People celebrated Nuakhai, the state’s most important agrarian festival, with lots of joy and enthusiasm on Thursday.
The celebrations, hit by Covid for the past two years, began with priests offering the first newly harvested paddy to Goddess Samaleswari in Sambalpur in the morning.
Heads of families performed similar prayers and offerings at home.Younger members of families greeted their elders with "Nuakhai Juhaar" (a form of greeting with folded hands).
Dressed in their best attire, people visited various places that hosted colourful cultural programmes in the evening. They danced to the tunes of popular Sambalpuri songs and also took part in Rasarkeli and Dalkhai dances.
In her greetings to the people of the state, President Droupadi Murmu, an Odisha native, expressed the hope that the festival would bring “love, harmony and prosperity to all.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, said ,“Nuakhai Juhar! Best wishes to everyone on this special day. This is an occasion to express gratitude to our hardworking farmers for their exemplary work in feeding our nation. May our society scale new heights of progress and may everyone be happy as well as healthy.”
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also greeted the people of the state on the occasion.
“It’s a wonderful day for us when we honour our elders and eat and have fun together under one roof. Many people who live outside the state for study or work come home on this occasion and spend time with their family members,” said Dillip Biswal, a native of Bargarh district’s Dhusarbahal village.
“In the last two years, we could not celebrate the festival in a big way because of Covid restrictions. Now we have got back our joy," he added.