Sambalpur: Nuakhai, a major agrarian festival of western Odisha, will not see any major celebrations this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nuakhai is on August 23 this time and it will be a low-key affair sans any Nuakhai Bhet — the social get- together to greet each other on the occasion, according to community leaders. People of the region worship their presiding deities during Nuakhai celebrations as a mark of gratitude for bumper crops, good rain and favourable weather for farming activities. As per the tradition, the farmers offer the first grains of the harvest to the deity and then partake it. The head of the family worships the household deity and offers the rice and other food before distributing the prasad among the other members. Customarily, all the family members sit and eat together on the occasion, while the people who work outside also visit their homes to celebrate the festival. Maintaining the tradition, people will worship their presiding deities and offer the first crop. However, the social and cultural aspect of the festival will be missing this time due to the pandemic, said city-based writer Siddharth Panda.