Balangir observes Nuankhai with pomp SATURDAY, 03 SEPTEMBER 2011 23:47 S

Balangir observes Nuankhai with pomp
SATURDAY, 03 SEPTEMBER 2011 23:47
SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
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Nuankhai, the festival of eating newly sprouted paddy and subsequent Behtghat and cultural extravaganza was observed on Rishi Panchami day on Friday here along with other places of western Odisha with pomp and gaiety amidst drought and number of farmer’s suicide is raising day by day.
As per the designated auspicious time, new paddy was offered to Goddess Pataneshwari Devi and the auspicious time was 10-10.28 am . KV Singh Deo along with his family members and others eat Nabanna in the palace here. Besides, them several leading personalities also ate Nabanna along with their family members and other well wishers.
People in the western Odisha initiate preparations for the event for around 15 days in advance. Nuakhai 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: Beheren (announcement of a meeting to set the date)Lagna dekha (setting the exact date for partaking of new rice)Daka haka (invitation)Sapha sutura and lipa puchha (cleanliness)Ghina bika (purchasing)Nua dhan khuja (looking for the new crop)Bali paka (final resolve for Nuakhai by taking the Prasad (the offering) to the deity) Nuakhai (eating the new crop as Prasad after offering it to the deity, followed by dancing and singing)Juhar bhet (respect to elders)
After eating Nabarnna the Juhar Bhet programme starts. In the evening a Nuankhai bhet ghat programme was held in the town hall on Friday here . The impact of Nabanna was such virtually all the road wore a deserted look, even today most of the shopkeepers have downed their shutters. While on the one hand people are celebrating Nabanna, yet at the same time farmers are worried as what to do in view of crop loss.
Nuankhai also heralds the stark reality of poor people of this region, distress migration. According to reports ,local sardar have started giving small advances of Rs 2000 to3000 to people for managing their Nuankhai expense .After that they will go for migration to brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for six to eight months to work in inhuman condition and face exploitation.
In view of drought this year migration from this region would increase manifold. Those who are dancing and enjoying party in the name of Nuankhai should have a glimpse of the condition of farmers in view of drought, points out a civil society activist. Nabanna festival in western Odisha ,this year, could be well described as “Cheerless Nuankhai” , in view of drought, rising in number of farmer’s suicide and crop loss, the proposed Sindhol project threatening displacement and submergence of people and their land and rising pollution level, affecting the farmers and their land in western Odisha.
And in all this process it is the farmer who is suffering most, points out Dr Sanjiv Karmee of Department of Bio technology, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.