<span style="color: #222222;">The much-awaited day, Nuakahi, for the people of western Odisha districts came today with much pomp and gaiety. The major agrarian festival of this region is being celebrated in every nook and corner collectively with much fanfare and religious fervour. <br />'' <br />'' People offer the newly harvested crop called Nabanha to their respective presiding deities at a stipulated moment this morning. While Goddess Samaleswari is being worshipped in Sambalpur, Pateneswari in Bolangiri, Sureshwari in Sonepur, Sekharbasini in Sundargarh and Manikeswari in Kalahandi are offered the new crop. After offering the Nabanha, people relish different types of delicacies prepared from the newly harvested crop.<br />''<br />''The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival. It is an exchange of greetings with friend relative and well-wishers. The elders are wished Nuakhai Juhar and they give blessings for long life, happiness and prosperity. Being an agrarian festival, the eldest in each household in rural pockets worshipped their paddy fields praying for a bumper crop and favourable weather. Women folk leave bed early to perform the Nukhai rituals with decorating the house with colourful rangoli. </span><br />