With a few days left for the Nuankhai festival, the Lagna (propitious moment) for offering Navanna (newly-harvested rice) to Goddess Samaleswari on the auspicious day has now been finalised.
The Navanna will be offered to the goddess between 10.05 am and 10.20 am on September 3. As it is done every year, the Lagna was decided by the Brahmamandap Pandit Mahasabha at the Brahmapura temple here a day after Janmashtami on Saturday.
On the occasion of Nuankhai, all households of Sambalpur will offer Navanna to their presiding deity Samaleswari and Goddess Lakshmi as a mark of gratitude for a bumper harvest, good rain and favourable weather for farming.
The agrarian festival of Nuankhai is celebrated with pomp and gaiety across western Odisha districts of Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Bargarh, Subarnapur, Deogarh, Jharsuguda and Boudh.