Nagapanchami

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Nagapanchami is an event devoted to the snake-god. As is apparent from its name, it occurs on the fifth day (panchami) of the fortnight. This festival is usually celebrated in August. It is celebrated with great passion particularly in the rural areas. On this occasion women and children visit snake-pits and show respect the snakes residing there by performing Aarti and offering milk and honey to the snakes.

On this auspicious ocassion, Hindus pay devotion to the Naag (cobra). Snakes have been related with many Hindu gods. Sheshnaga (Snake with Six hoods) is considered as a vehicle of Vishnu. According to Hindu myths and anecdote, when Sheshnaga vibrates his head then world get experience of earthquakes (This explanation, of course is for the devout).

As per another anecdote, Krishna is said to have encountered with Kalia who is represented as a giant snake with several hoods, who resided in the Yamuna River and terrified people living nearby. But peculiarly, worship of the snake Naga on Nagapanchami day is not linked with any of these sacred snake-gods. Naga is a divinity in his own right and is worshipped as such. This specifies that apart from all myths which have praised and sacred this reptile, his worship during Nagapanchami owes its origin to some other source.

Another thought behind this festival is agricultural cause. Nagapanchami celebrated at the start of the harvest season. The time of its occurrence and the way of its celebration discloses the origin of Nagapanchami in the agrarian way of life. At the start of the harvest season, crops attain their full development and the harvest is ready to be reaped.

In Indian scenario, the reaping of the harvest is a hefty manual operation in which farmers have to mote among the dense crops for cutting them before the threshing, etc. Performing this process, the farmers expose themselves to the risk of snakebite from reptiles lurking hidden among the dense crop. For getting ride of this fear and for providing psychological comfort of themselves farmers celebrate worship of the snake god.