NAG PANCHAMI
Celebrated on : The fifth day of the Bright half of Shravan.
Religion : Hindu
On the fifth day of the bright half of Shravan people worship the snake, “nag”. The day is known as “Nag Panchami”. Naga Panchami is the festival of snakes celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shriven. The festival falls during the rainy months and is believed to counter the increased possibility of a snake bite during this time. People visit temples specially dedicated to snakes and worship them. Shiva temples are also favoured places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him. In South India, people craft images of snakes using cow dung on either side of the entrance to the house to welcome the snake god. Some go to worship the snake which is believed to be hiding in the holes of anthills. Or else a five hood snake is made by mixing “gandh” (a fragrant pigment), “halad-kumkum” (turmeric powder), “chandan” (sandal) and “keshar” (saffron) and placed on a metal plate and worshipped. This practice of worshipping the snake on this day is related to the following story.
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