Nawakhani is harvest festival of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. In this festival people eat new grain of rice after harvesting.[1]

Nawakhani
TypeRegional Festival
SignificanceHarvest festival
ObservancesJharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
DateSeptember, October
FrequencyAnnual
Related toNuakhai, Nabanna, Nawai

Etymology

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Nawakhani means eating new. Nawa means New and Khani means eat. It signify eating new grain after harvest.[2]

Celebration

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It is harvest festival of Chota Nagpur plateau region of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. People fast, venerate Suraj (Sun) and ancestors by offering new grain. It is celebrated in courtyard. The head of family sacrifice animals ( especially chicken) to Sun and ancestors. Then cooked meat and Tapan (fermentated rice drinks) distributed among family members. In this festival, People prepare bread, Chuda from new rice which grows in plain field called Godda dhan. It is observed to celebrate new grain eating after harvest.[1][3]

It is celebrated by Sadan people of Jharkhand and Kurukh people.[4][5]

Observation in other parts of India

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This festival is also celebrated in Chhattisgarh.[6][7][8] In Western Odisha, it is known as Nuakhai.[9] In Madhya Pradesh, it is known as Nawai celebrated among Bhils.[10] New grain eating festival in West Bengal is known as Nabanna.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dr Manish Ranjan (2021). JHARKHAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION PRELIMS EXAMS COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE PAPER. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 50. ISBN 978-9390906321.
  2. ^ "Festivals of Jharkhand". sarkarilibrary. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Sacred Groves of J'Khand presented in IGRMS exhibition series". dailypioneer. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  4. ^ Manish Ranjan (2022). JHARKHAND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 2021. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 9789354883002.
  5. ^ "Marriage Customs among The Oraons". etribaltribune.com.
  6. ^ "बस्तर का पर्व नवा खानी : धान की नई फसल पकने पर ग्रामीण मनाते हैं जश्न". goanconnection. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  7. ^ "बस्तर के मूल निवासी प्रकृति के पूजक हैं:अंचल में नवाखानी पर्व मनाया गया". bhaskar. Retrieved 7 August 2022.}
  8. ^ "नवाखाई के लिए अजीत जोगी सपरिवार पहुंचे गृहग्राम जोगीसार". news18. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Nuakhai: The greatest harvesting festival of Odisha". Times of India. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Tribal rituals in agriculture". oneindia. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2022.}
  11. ^ O'Donnell, Erin (2004). "'Woman' and 'homeland' in Ritwik Ghatak's films: Constructing post-Independence Bengali cultural identity". Jump Cut. 47.