Naag Panchami, the vibrant Hindu Naag festival, is when devotees worship snakes. The festival is celebrated with devotion and faith in various parts of India.
But do you know the story behind Naag Panchami regarding why snakes are worshipped this day? If not, then we will explain everything about this auspicious event in this informational blog.
Let’s take a look at
Significance Of Naag Panchami
Falling on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the Sawan month, the day is marked sacred to perform mythological rituals such as beating dolls (Guddi Maaro) and not making roti.
This is a holy festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. As Lord Shiva adorns a snake in his neck, that's why the serpent is given special space in Hindu mythology. The serpent is worshipped as a God. The devotees visit temples associated with snakes or serpents this day or keep at home the naag nagin joda and offer milk or other food to them.
Let’s now talk in detail about the history of Naag Panchami, the story it is associated with, and why it is celebrated.
The Story of Lord Krishna & Naag Kalia
In Hindu scriptures, there is one popular story of Lord Krishna and Kansa. It was predestined that Kansa would be defeated and caused to die only by Lord Krishna. One day, Kansa sent a serpent named Kalia to kill Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna was playing with his friends near the river, and suddenly his ball fell into the water. He went to get the ball but was attacked by Kalia.
But due to Lord Krishna’s special powers, Kalia was defeated by Lord Krishna, and in fact, Bal Krishna played flute while sitting on Kalia's head. Kalia apologized to Bal Krishna and said that he would never come to harm the villagers. The day marks the victory of BalKrishna over Kalia.
Why Are Dolls Beaten On This Day?
As per Hindu Mythology, the ritual got rooted back from one story from the ancient times. There was a boy who used to go to the temple every day to worship Lord Shiva. The boy used to see the snake God every day also there, and once in the month of Sawan, he went to the temple with his sister. The boy and his sister were worshipping Shivalinga; by watching their devotion, the snake God became pleased and came near the boy and sat there.
The boy’s sister was very scared watching this, so she started beating the snake. The priest came there and was sad, watching the condition of the innocent snake. After this incident, the sister is cursed by the snake, due to which she also has to bear serious consequences.
The brother asked the priest how to get rid of the curse. At this, the priest suggested beating a doll made of cloth 11 times straight and 11 times upside down and then burying it deep under the ground. As soon as the brother did this thing, the sister started getting relief from the snake’s curse.
Therefore, after that incident, the ritual of doll beating and burying under the ground got started on the day of Naag Panchami so that the snake God do not suffer any kind of pain.
The Ritual Of Not Making Roti
If you don’t know, then let us tell you that iron objects are not used on the day of Naag Panchami. Roti is also made on the iron pan, which is considered inauspicious. Apart from this belief, it is also considered that the pan is a symbol of the snake’s hood. Putting the pan on the flame or gas makes the snake deity angry. So, it’s because of this that the pan is not used on this day and rotis are not made.
There is one more belief that if people use a pan on this day, then they could be impacted by the worse effects of Rahu in their horoscope, or they could lack money in their lives. Many obstacles would come in their track of life in any work they do or even in the progress of family members.
Ending Notes
So, in the end, we can say that Naag Panchami is not only about worshipping the snake God, but it’s also about how one must overcome fear and stay in harmony. The ritual of beating dolls or avoiding rotis might seem odd, but they carry a deep cultural wisdom.
Want to know about which customs or traditions are followed on Naag Panchami? Then do connect with us at pandit.com to seek valuable guidance from the expert Mahaguru & Celebrity Astrologer Pt. Rahul Kaushl.
