By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR:MP and former Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, who is on a visit to Sambalpur, celebrated the festival of Navanna by drinking the Nawanshahr in his parliamentary constituency on the occasion of ‘Nuankai-2026’ on Tuesday and called upon the people to take responsibility for nurturing the next generation from the Nawanshahr.
Shri Pradhan first arrived at the residence of BJP District President Ramachandra Meher in Sambalpur today and sat down with his family members and took ‘Nabanna’. Later, he had darshan and worship of Ishtdevi Maa Samaleswari of Sambalpur and took ‘Nabanna’ in the temple premises with delegations from home and abroad, dignitaries, members of Rangavati Forum, intellectuals and media friends. After taking the Nabanna, Shri Pradhan participated in a special program organized by ‘Rangavati Forum’ and delivered a speech on the importance, charm and local potential of Nuakhai with delegates from different parts of the country. He advised people to experience the art, culture and tourism of Sambalpur district and its surrounding areas, learn about them and spread them widely. Later, Shri Pradhan also participated in the ‘Nuankai Bhetghat-2026’ program organized by many social and cultural organizations including ‘Marwadi Poo Manch’, Odisha Cultural Society.
While extending greetings on Nuakhai, Shri Pradhan said that Nuakhai is not just a festival; it is a symbol of our culture and an integral part of our culture. Nuakhai is a unique gathering of mutual love, devotion and respect. On this day, our brothers and sisters living in the country and abroad return to their homeland, their villages. Everyone sits together and accepts the first harvest ‘Nabanna’ offered to Maa Samaleswari, Maa Pataneswari, Maa Sureswari and Ishtadevi. This social bond and family tradition is the real strength of our Odia culture. Since time immemorial, there has been a sacred tradition of offering Navanna to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath, the worshipped deity of the Odia nation, which shows the status of our agriculture and culture. Shri Pradhan saluted the farmer brothers who provide food on this holy occasion. We celebrate this festival today because of the dedication and sacrifice of the farmer brothers who, regardless of the dew, sun, and rain, produce gold from the soil with their hard work, feeding the entire society. This festival of ours is a reflection of the deep connection between nature and human civilization.
Quoting a line from the poem ‘Annar Mahaji’ by poet Gangadhar Meher – “The whole world is supported by bread, without bread, the world rises in mourning”, the MP said that bread is the basic basis of life. Eating not only brings families together, but also binds the entire society together. Therefore, to strengthen this society, we have to protect our future or the future generation. To protect the future generation, we have to take responsibility for the nutrition of newborns and young people and the health of mothers from now on.
Shri Pradhan has urged that the main importance of Nuankahai is to receive the first grain or ‘nabanna’, which is the basic foundation of our society, culture and agriculture. Bread is one of the greatest needs of human civilization. Today, there is no shortage of food in the country, but the biggest challenge for us is ‘nutritious food’ or security of nutrition. The real difference of Nuankahai is to take the responsibility of providing ‘nutritious food’ to every child and mother of the society and ensure their nutrition. In this Nuankahai, we will take the concept – we will take the responsibility of ensuring that this ‘nabanna’ that comes to our home provides ‘susham poshan’ to every child and mother of the society. We will build such a society – where every child gets nutritious food, every mother gets equal access to nutritious food and every family gets security of nutrition. He expressed his firm belief that only through this social concept and partnership can the path of ‘Developed Odisha to Developed India’ be paved and wished everyone well at Masmaleswari.
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