KalingaTV News Network
Sambalpur: With the whole of Western Odisha gearing up for the agrarian festival Nuakhai with great enthusiasm, the Lagna (auspicious period) for the Nabanna Lagi (offering of first harvested crop) to Sambalpur’s presiding deity Maa Samaleshwari was finalised on Tuesday.
The Pandit Mahasava (council of priests) held a meeting today to decide on the Lagna and zeroed in on the period between 9.05-9.15 AM on August 26 for the Nabanna ritual.
The Nabanna ritual, which constitutes a major part of the Nuakhai celebrations at Sambalpur, witnesses huge turnout of devotees at the temple. Goddess Samalai is draped in a new saree and adorned with ornaments before the Nabanna Lagi as part of the ritual.
Notably, Nuakhai festival, having a similarity with Onam’s, Kerala’s own agrarian festival, is celebrated every year on the Bhadra Shukla Pakhya Panchami Tithi Kanya Langa of Odia calendar year or the 5th day of the waxing phase of moon in the 6th month of the year under Virgo Ascendant. While the festival was being celebrated on different days in different parts of the Odisha since 1992, it is being celebrated on the same day throughout the State now.
Ms Kalinga