Nuakhai is a major agricultural festival of Odisha also in India. Nuakhai(also known as. Nabanna) is a festival observed by the mass over the entire western Odisha, particularly Balangir is so famous. Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season.

Nuakhai -- The word "Nua" means new and "Khai" means food, so the name means the farmers are in possession of the newly harvested rice. The festival is seen as a new ray of hope, held the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

It has a big significance for farmers and the agricultural community. The festival celebrated at a particular time of day which is called lagan. Every home is filled with arsa pitha (a food made with rice), a popular dish in the western part of Odisha. When the lagan comes, the people first remember their village god or goddess and then have their nua.

Nuakhai is the agricultural festival of both the tribal people as well as the caste-Hindus. The festival is observed throughout Odisha, but it is particularly important in the life and culture of the tribal dominated area of Western Odisha. It is a festival for the worship of food grain. It has its best celebration in the Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Boudh and Nuapada districts of Western Odisha.

It is now very popular in allover India also.The people of Odisha loves this festival.