Nuakhai Lagna Set – Nabanna to Be Offered to Maa Samaleswari on September 15

In a modest yet significant gathering at the Brahmapura Temple Trust Committee in Sambalpur, priests and trustees today pinned down the exact moment for the Nuakhai lagna. After deliberations, they agreed that the first harvest – known locally as Nabanna – will be offered to Maa Samaleswari, the beloved guardian of the region.

The offering is slated for September 15, precisely between 9:40 a.m. and 9:54 a.m. Those few minutes hold deep cultural weight; it is the instant when the newly reaped rice is presented before the deity, symbolising gratitude for a bountiful season.

Across the districts of Western Odisha, families will mirror this ritual in their own villages, presenting Nabanna to the local presiding deities. Once the offering is complete, they partake in the fresh rice – a simple, heartfelt act that binds the community together.

Nuakhai, the agrarian festival that celebrates the first grain of the year, falls on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight of the Bhadrab month in the Odia calendar. This year, the fixed lagna adds a clear timeline for devotees, ensuring that the celebrations flow smoothly.

As the sun climbs on the morning of September 15, temples will buzz with chants, the scent of newly harvested rice will waft through the air, and devotees will gather, eyes bright with hope for a prosperous harvest ahead.