Nuakhai is an annual agricultural harvest festival celebrated to welcome the new rice of the season.  Meaning and TimingName: The word combines " nua" (new) and "khai" (eat or food) , meaning the first consumption of the newly harvested crop. Date: Bhadrapada (August–September), right after Ganesh Chaturthi. Region: It is mainly observed in western Odisha , parts of southern Chhattisgarh, and neighboring areas in Jharkhand.