Nua Khai festival being celebrated in Odisha

In Odisha, the 'Nua Khai' festival is being celebrated today. Many dignitaries including the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan have greeted the people on the occasion.

Before winding up the August edition of his Man Ki Baat last Sunday,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described Nua Khai as an agrarian festival and had wished the people of Odisha on the occasion. In this festival, celebrated particularly in western odisha, the new rice of the season is offered to the deities even before the crop is harvested. 

People take the 'new rice' so offered to the goddess as 'Prasad', thereby



symbolising their gratitude to the divine for blessing them with 'Anna' or food.

In a way the festival represents not only the farmers' hopes and aspirations for a handsome harvest, but also their deep rooted belief that food itself is god. It also symbolizes the socialising spirit of the rural community as reflected through Nua Khai Juhar- a traditional Namaste offered by the younger to the elders and through the community feasting. Added to that, it's an occasion, when the entire family renews its bonding of love, affection and respect not only with itself but also with the entire community at large.