Sambalpur, Sept 8: Odisha is celebrating Nuakhai Festival today with pomp and gaity whereas every home in the state’s western region, has been housefull with kith & kin and guests for the annual community festivity for having Nabanna, a sacred pudding, prepared from the season's first harvested corns.
The community festival began after a customary ritual, with offering Nabanna to the presiding deity of Sambalpur Maa Samalei or Samaleswari in the morning. The Goddess was offered the ‘Nabanna’ exactly between 09.12 AM and 09.27 AM today, as per the schedule prefixed by the temple’s priest.
Follwing the offering to the deity, the side Gods and Godesses of the shrine were worshipped with dedicating the Nabanna on the auspicious occasion.Subsequently, the presiding deities of the villages(grama debatis) in the region were served the newly cooked pudding, cooked from the rice prepared from the first lot of paddy harvest. Later, the nabannas were served at every home among the family members, frinds and guests, gathered to mark the occasion.
According to the tradition, after dedicating Nabanna to the deities, Lords and Gods of the locality, it is served to the family members sitting altogether in a queue, by the eldest members of the family to harvest peace, unity and prosperity of the family.
