The Prime Minister of India conveyed warm wishes to the people on the auspicious occasion of Nuakhai Juhar, a significant social festival celebrated in Western Odisha and parts of Simdega in Jharkhand. The term “Nuakhai” combines “nua,” meaning new, and “khai,” signifying food, reflecting its role as an agricultural festival welcoming the new rice harvest. Nuakhai takes place on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), following Ganesh Chaturthi. It involves nine sets of rituals, including offering the freshly harvested crop (Nabanha) to deities and savoring various delicacies prepared from the new harvest, culminating in the Nuakhai Juhar ritual.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Nuakhai Juhar: A significant ritual of the Nuakhai festival involving the offering of respect and gratitude to ancestors and elders.
- Bhadrapada: The lunar month corresponding to August–September in the Hindu calendar.
- Ganesh Chaturthi: A Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, typically occurring a day before Nuakhai.
- Nabanha: The newly harvested crop, especially rice, offered to deities as a part of the festival rituals.
- Agricultural Festival: Nuakhai Juhar is primarily an agricultural festival dedicated to celebrating the bounty of the harvest season and showing appreciation for the new crop.
