What is the procedure to celebrate Nag Panchami?
Nag Pachami is a festival of Hindus, they worship snake God on this occasion. The abode of snake is called ‘Naga lok’ that is under the Patal lok. On Nag Panchami Lord Shiv is also prayed. This festival is celebrated for happiness and prosperity of the family. It is enjoyed all over India and Nepal.
The festival is celebrated according to Hindu calendar on Panchami, that is the fifth day of moonlit fortnight. Panchami comes in the month of Sawan where as Sawan comes in the month of July or August.
What is the history of the festival ‘Nag Pachami’?
This festival is believed to be celebrated since 3000 B.C. before Aryans came to India. It is believed the Nagas and Sarpas were worshipped at Mahabharata time also. There is one famous old story behind the celebration of this festival, that a farmer by mistake killed a baby snake one day. For this mistake the mother of snake took revenge by biting the farmer and his whole family. However, the daughter of the farmer was saved because she was a good devotee of Nagas. This news spread in the society and the story became famous. Since that day Nag Pachmi is celebrated every year across the country. It is believed that praying snakes save family members from the harms of snakes.
There is one more reason behind the celebration of this festival. It is celebrated as a mark of victory of Lord Krishna in the fight of Kaliya snake and Lord Krishna. That is also remembered on this day.
It is also believed that Lord Shiva, blesses and loves snakes that is why the snake is worshipped to please the God. It is said that Lord Shiva is one of most short tempered Lords and he can even ruins one’s life when he is unhappy. That is why people worship Lord Shiva’s idol with milk on this auspicious day. The idols of sand and mud are also worshipped on this day.
How is Nag Panchami celebrated?
Snakes are considered very important in India. They are worshipped in temples. On the day of Nag Panchami pictures of snakes are worshipped and honored. Various rituals are performed to please the snake god. In some villages, villagers carry snake pots on their head and dance on the way to temples on this occasion. After this function, the priest of temple sprinkles red powder, turmeric and flowers on them. Milk and honey are offered to snakes. The priest performs various rituals and take Dakshina in return in the form of gold and silver.
On Nag Panchami Nag, snakes and cobras are worshipped with milk, lamps, sweets and flowers. Images of Nagas made from silver, wood, stone, or paintings on wall are washed with milk and water and then prayed by various mantras.
There is a famous belief that young boys and girls pray and offer milk to snakes with the dream of getting married to the best person for living their life happily. It is also believed that cobras and snakes remember faces. So people pray to them for better and happy life.