Navakhai festival is celebrated in the
Koriya District of
Chhattisgarh by the peasant community. It falls on the ninth day after the ‘Vijai Dashmi’ festival. On this day, the newly harvested rice is cooked and offered to the family deity. Following some religious rites, this rice is taken as an offering from the god and eaten. Some people get into a festive mood in the evening by participating in dances. There is also the occasional consumption of liquor during the dances.