Nuakhai is an annual harvest festival in Odisha, celebrated to welcome the season's new rice.

• Celebrated a day after Ganesh Chaturthi, Nuakhai is the most auspicious and important social festival in Western Odisha and the neighbouring areas of Simdega in Jharkhand. It is celebrated throughout Odisha and will be held on September 20, 2023.
• It is celebrated precisely the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. Determined by the lunar calendar, the day falls on the 'Panchami tithi' (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight, usually happening between August and September.
• Though celebrated throughout the state, the districts of Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Boudh and Nuapada are the best places to experience Nuakhai in Odisha.
• These places of rich history have a sizeable high tribal population, and hence, a great destination to experience the cultures.