Naga Panchami is one of the prominent Hindu festivals of India. It falls on the
fifth day of the moonlit-fortnight in the month of Shravan according to the
Hindu calendar, which corresponds to July-August as per the Gregorian calendar.
Historical records suggest that the worship of snakes was wide-spread even
before the Aryan civilization, when the Naga culture was incorporated into
Hinduism. It is believed that the culture of worshipping a number of snake
deities was begun by the Indo-Aryans. According to a popular legend, snakes take
shelter in gardens and homes, whenever their holes are flooded with rainwater.
Since snakes pose a great threat to humankind due to their venom, they are
worshipped by the Hindus, on Nag Panchami. The festival was initially observed
to worship the forces of Mother Nature, later on a day to honor God's ferocious
creation - snakes. Snakes are worshipped on Nag Panchami, with immense devotion.
The devotees visit temples dedicated to snakes, to offer prayers. Since it is
celebrated with religious fervor, a number of customs are related to the
festivals. Go through the following lines to know more about Naga Panchami
rituals.
Nag Panchami Customs & Traditions
The temples dedicated snakes (sarpa) are flocked by devotees, who carry milk and
turmeric powder as offerings for the deity. In fact, in some part of the
country, Nag Panchami is called 'snake day'. In some regions, live cobras are
given a ceremonious bath in milk and offered rice, because it is believed that
by treating them properly, one could get immunity from their bites. Women also
take part in the celebrations. They would get up early in the morning, take bath
and head to the nearest Snake temple, carrying pots of milk and flowers to the
deity. According to the legends, if a snake drinks milk, then it is a symbol of
good luck.
In many parts of Bengal, Mansa (the Queen of Snakes) is worshipped during Naga
Panchami. The snake Goddess is worshipped to obtain respite from other snakes.
Raw milk and five plantains are offered to the Goddess, by her devotees.
Generally, women are the followers of Goddess Manasa. The tradition of
worshipping Goddess Manasa is still prevalent in some parts of Bengal. Another
tradition associated with the celebration of Nag Panchami is smearing of red
sandalwood paste on wooden boards and clay images of snakes. The images would be
colored in usually yellow or black. They are personified as idols of snake and
worshipped on the festival.
The rituals followed in different parts of India, for Naga Panchami, are unique
in their own terms. For instance, in Punjab, one can see a large dough snake
being created and then paraded around the villages of the state. The parade is
often accompanied by singing and dancing. The virtual snake is buried at the end
of the parade, to mark the culmination of the ritual. Coming to Maharashtra,
women offer milk, flowers, haldi (turmeric powder) and kumkum to the dangerous
snakes that are carried by snake charmers. It is interesting, yet fearsome to
see that on Naga Panchami, snake charmers carry pots containing cobras to a
central temple, where they are released and worshipped.
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