Significance of Naga Panchami

Naga Panchami is a traditional festival of Hindus where they worship snakes or serpents. The festival is named Naga Panchami after the name of King Cobra.This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of bright half of Lunar Month of Shravana as per the hindu calendar.

During the festival people honour Nāga Devata (Cobras). Five nagas are worshipped – Ananta, Vāsuki, Taxak, Karkotaka and Pingala. There is a Puranic myth stating that Brahma’s son Kashyapa had four wives.

First one gave birth to Devas, second to Garudas, third to Nāgas and fourth to Daityas. Kashyapa’s third wife was Kadroo. That is why Nāgas are also called Kadroojā. They ruled in Pātāl-Loka (“Nether world”).

The skin of a snake is covered with scales. Whole outer layer of skin is shed in one layer. This process is called ecdysis or in more common language moulting. Because of cyclical repeating of the process Hindu people believe that snakes are immortal.

People go to temples and snake pits and they worship the snakes. People offer milk and silver jewelry to the Cobras. They believe that they keep them from evil. Sometimes people put little pot with milk and some flowers next to a hole where snakes live. On Naga Panchami people also fast.

The ritual is widely observed in Nepal, particularly for the fight between Garuda and a great serpent. It is also the festival held in honour of the great serpent on the coils of which Lord Vishnu is resting between the Universe.

In the Changu Narayan Temple in Kathmandu, there is statue of Garuda which is said to have been established by Garuda himself and on the Naga Panchami day the image is said to sweat reminiscing his great fight with a giant snake; people collect the sweat and use it for curing leprosy.

Every Hindu household puts a poster of Naga above their main door, and makes offerings to it on this day, Naga Panchami. Naga God believed to bring rains and also saves the house from the lightning.

So the legend goes, a Naga God called Karkot Naga went to reside at Taudaha after God Manjusri drained the water from the Kathmandu Valley Lake. Hence, an annual festival is held at Taudaha and at Nagapokhai in Kathmandu to honor the Naga devta .

Nagas were the tutelary gods of Licchavis that ruled Nepal for about 500 years from the fifth to ninth century. They set the tradition of worshipping Nagas, and celebrating the Naga Panchami.

Naga Panchami Mantra

अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कम्बलम्।

शंखपालं धार्तराष्ट्रं तक्षकं कालियं तथा ।।

एतानि नवनामानी नगनां च महत्मनाम् ।

सायंकाले पठेन्नित्यं प्रात:काले विशेषत:।।

तस्मै विषभयं नास्ति सर्वत्र विजयी भवत् ।।