Nuakhai - The festival of Social Harmony
Nuakhai is an agrarian festival of western odisha, celebrated with pomp and ceremony. It is a bonding festival of sweetness and togetherness. Nuakhai recreate and rejuvenate the newness in life. Nuakhai festival is observed on panchami tithi (fifth day) of lunar fortnight of Bhadrava/Bhudo maas (August-September), the day after Ganesh chaturthi.
In odisha, agriculture is the lifeline for majority of people. Every people, be it farmer or poor, eagerly waits for this festival. A farmer awakes from morning and get into nuakhai preparation task. He go to his land for offering prayers to maati and dhana. He in gratefulness. He pray and Praise the benign benevolence of mother earth, feeding us with her golden produce (dhaana). There, he invokes the pancha mahabhutas (the five primal forces of nature) namely earth, water, light, wind and space and offers them his devout offerings of obeisance before he plucks the new grain in grateful respect. After that, he returns with the first-plucked new rice of his field and hands it over to the woman of the house for worship. Balls of flattened rice and gur are prepared in honour of goddess Laxmi, the supreme mother, who is believed to bless us with life-sustaining Anna.
The great masses of tribal population are cultivators, farm servants and labourers. The important and main tribes of Orissa like Binjhal, Bhumia, Gond, kotia Kondha, Mirdha, Saura etc. are at the moment settled agriculturists.
It is not a pretentious celebration, rather worship of food grains. The festival nurtures the appreciation and admiration profoundly for the growth of rice, which is a symbolic manifestation of life itself.
Nuakhai is of ancient origin. This can dates to Vedic ages, where Rishis and maharishis perform Pancha Mahayagna, where worship of the rice is one of the fundamental aspect. 5 important activities are
1) Sita yajna (the tilling of the land)
2) Pravapana yajna (the sowing of seeds)
3) Pralambana yajna (the initial cutting of crops)
4) Khala yajna (the harvesting of grains)
5) Prayayana yajna (the preservation of the produce).
Nuakhai relates to pralambana yagna, the initial cutting of seeds and offering to deity and with togetherness and solidarity. Whole family under one roof and welcoming the new harvest with pure and pristine heart.
Earlier western odisha society was hunter gatherer and of subsistence economy. Oral tradition dates its back to the time of first Chauhan Raja Ramai Dev (12th century) of Patnagarh region of west odisha (now balangir), he realised the importance of agrarian economy and made conscious efforts to make subsistence economy to agrarian economy. Gradually, Nuakhai becomes a integral binding fabric of our society.
The beauty of nuakhai, the nua anna is offered to mother earth and God, before we consume them. Even though the grain is not fully ripen, we offer deity to its pure form. The paddy is given weight as the grain of rice is measured as a representation and symbol of manifestation of life.
In our ancient text, it is written
Anna Brahmeti Hyajanat
Annadeva Khalwani Bhutani
Jayante Annena Jatani, Annam Prayantyabhisam Bishantiti.
Meaning:- The other name of Anna is Brahma God. In this sense, Anna is Iswara or God. Each life is born out of Anna. It is the source of energy. After death, Jiba or anything having a life, transforms into Anna for others. For this reason, it is the source of life, happiness and a part of soul.
Every year, the Tithi (day) and Samay (time) of observance was astrologically determined by the Hindu priests. In Sambalpur, Brahmin priests sat together and calculate the auspicious time.
Nuakhai, also called Nabanna is understood to have nine colours and as a consequence nine sets of rituals are followed as a prelude to the actual day of celebration. These nine colours include:
1. Beheren
announcement for meeting to set a date
2. Lagna dekha
setting the exact date for partaking of new rice
3. Daka haka (invitation),
4. Sapha sutura and lipa puchha
cleanliness
5. Ghina bika (purchasing),
6. Nua dhan khuja
looking for new crop
7. Bali paka
final resolve for Nuakhai by taking Prasad i.e. pahur to deity
8. Nuakhai
taking new crop as Prasad after offering to the deity followed by dancing and singing
9. Juhar bhet (Respect to elders)
The above is nine steps of nabanna.
On this occasion, people wear new clothes. It is a tradition that after offering the nua to the presiding deity, the eldest member of the family distributes nua to other members of the family. After taking the nua, all the junior members of the family offers their unfathomable regards to their elders. Thereafter, follows the nuakhai juhar i.e. exchange of greetings with friends, wellwishers and relatives as well. This symbolizes unity. This is the occasion when people lay their differences to rest and start relationship afresh. Folk dances and songs are organized in evening. People dance their way to the foot tapping rasarkeli, dalkhai, maelajada, chutkuchuta, sajani, nachnia and bajnia beats and tunes.
With the winter comming, the fragrance circulating, the mist falling, the trees dancing, the mighty river flowing, the sun shining, sprinkling it's rays of hope and love, the winter moon glowing, where it splashes escatsy in the heart of all, rice grain uncovers to feed the lifeforms . It is where nuakhai comes,informs lifeforms of newness and Novelty.
Nuakhai is more than a culture or tradition. It's an emotion. A bonding which connects to the whole society. This connection of accross familes and in greater, to the society, conveys a message of unity. This festival inclusively unites the society promoting prosperity and fraternity.
Bhai bhai gute hei thile
Ghar hesi bade sundara,
Man k man misi thile kae
Lagu thiba bahut madhura.
Bhaba ra dia nia jagata sina
Bhaba thile r kae ta una.
Hasi kheli rahu thimaa,
Asa asa asa ame mili misi nua khaema.
Translation - ( The unity between Brothers brings happiness to the family. Man k man , when there is mixing of hearts and a good attachment in within family, the realtions become much sweeter. Bhabar dia nia jagata sina, the world is an exchange of love and emotions, and if we have the love, then what really we lack? Nothing. So, hasi kheli rahu thima, living cheerfully. Asa asa asa ame, mili misi nua khai ma, come lets sit together and eat Nuakhai )
Bada k juhara
Saan k aadara
Samasta nku mor Nuakhai tihar ra juhar...🙏🙏🙏
Nuakhai juhar 😊🙏
Acknowledgments
1) Nuakhai : An Epitome of the
Great Tradition of India
Dr. Chitrasen Pasayat
Odisha review, Government of Odisha. (September 2007)
2) Nuakhai : Festival of
Social Harmony
Dr. P.K. Singh
Odisha review, Government of Odisha. (September 2015)
3) excerpts taken from song asa asa asa ame mili misi nua khaima. From You tube.