Nag Panchami
In Indian mythology, the world is supported on the hood of a giant snake called Shesha. And the myths and legends come to the fore on the day of Naga Panchami, the festival that is dedicated to the Snake God.
Over a vast space of time, serpents have haunted the Indian mind. An oblation of rice and milk, the subdued burning of camphor and incense sticks, the flickering wicks soaked in the shimmering brass lamps and the strewn flower petals - all invoke an abiding faith and awe in the inscrutable powers of the Snake God. Through the corridors of time one hears the echo of chorus songs and dance beats all in praise of the powers that the snakes are believed to possess.
Snake worship is common throughout India, both of the sculptured form and of the living being. The sculpture is invariably in the form of the naga or the cobra. Sometimes there is a single naga, the hood being spread open. Occasionally, there are nine snake figures sculpted together, and the form is known as Nava Naga. The living snake is worshipped almost in every part of the country, especially on occasion of festivals like Naga Panchami.
Living Tradition
The festival of Naga Panchami is a living tradition of the snake cult. One of the great festivals in honour of the serpent, it is observed across India and Nepal on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Shravan during the monsoon season. There are many legends associated with this festival, prevalent in different parts of the country. It is believed that the festival celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the mythical Kaliya, a monstrous black cobra that was killed by Krishna. The immortal Kaliyamardana story in the Shrimada Bhagwata describing Krishna’s subduing of the poisonous serpent Kaliya who polluted the river Yamuna and his dance on the hood of the serpent is well-known. Krishna not only made the waters of the river safe for people by ousting the Kaliya Naga but released the serpent from the curse that made him take the form of Kaliya.
Another legend states that once a snake was trampled upon by a woman during night. The snake followed her, intending to bite her. There it saw the same woman giving milk to the young one of a snake. The snake changed its mind and went off. It was the day of Naga Panchami.
The rites and rituals to be observed on this festive day are laid down in the Sanskrit work called ‘Vrataraja’. According to this text, “The poisonous one must be drawn with cow dung on both sides of the door.” Elaborate rituals in the form of ‘puja' are held in temples and temporary altars in the honour of snake gods. In many parts of Eastern India, the festival is dedicated to the worship of the snake goddess Manasa. On the festive day women take a holy bath in the morning and worship the cobras by offering milk and honey. The adobe of a cobra – usually an ant hill - is decorated with turmeric and kumkum and milk is poured into it. The snake charmers go about with trained cobras and collect money. Milk is offered to the Nagas because they are considered to be a form of death and the milk consumed by snakes and the Nagas soothes their anguish. It is believed that the reward of this worship is freedom from snake bites in the family.
Unique Festivities At Battis Shirala
Battis Shirala, a small town in Maharashtra, is famous for its annual Naga Panchami festival, which is attended by thousands of people. Tourists from all over the world gather at this place to witness the unique festivities. Two weeks before the festival, villagers go snake-hunting, after getting ‘kaul’' (permission) from the village goddess Ambabai by placing a flower on her head. If the flower falls voluntarily on the left side then that family is not allowed to catch snakes that year. It is believed that only the natives of Shirala are allowed to catch the snakes. Snakes (including the venomous Indian King Cobra) are tracked by their body marks in the soil. The ground is dug up carefully and the snakes are captured.
A lot of care is taken so that snakes are not hurt since that would invoke a curse on the family. Searching for hours might result in procuring seven or eight snakes per group. These snakes are then kept in a big earthen pot which is closed by placing another small earthen pot on its top. A cloth is then tied around the top with a rope. These pots are usually hung outside the house. Every morning till the actual festival, these snakes are taken out of their earthen pots and fed with a rat or frog.
On the day of the festival, the snakes are displayed in a huge procession. The procession begins with the blessings of Ambabai and 70 to 80 groups of snake-catchers and the villagers take part in this procession. Before this procession, in the morning, village women worship these snakes. After the festival the snakes are released at the same place from where they were caught.
Love for Living Ones
Serpents played an important role in the life of ancient Indian people. They were worshipped for prosperity. It was believed that they guarded the treasures buried under the ground. As such, on the Naga Panchami day, no digging of the earth is done. Snakes are also farmers’ friends since they eat rats, insects and frogs which threaten to harm the crops. Hence, farmers refrain from ploughing the fields on Naga Panchami day out of the fear that the sharp head of the plough might harm the cobras. Even the cutting of vegetables is avoided considering the possible threat to this sacred being. In both Kerala and Tamil Nadu serpents are also believed to contribute to the fertility of the soil. This is the reason why priests of some of the serpent temples come from the agrarian community. In all the southern states, the deity under whose name the snake is worshipped is Subramanyam.
Water Spirit
The serpent has also been worshipped as a symbol of water, longevity and wisdom, perhaps because of its wriggling movement, renewal after the sloughing of its skin and the unblinking stare. While in Greek mythology, the world is supported on the shoulders of the mighty giant Atlas, Indian mythology holds that the world is placed upon the raised hood of a huge serpent called ‘Shesha’. There is a view that the serpents are worshipped chiefly because of their power over the element of water. Hendrik Kern, a well known scholar, propounded the theory that the nagas are essentially water spirits. They are personified forces of nature. The serpents are said to haunt lakes and ponds and the sources of rivers and are supposed to be the givers of rain. During the rainy season holes in the ground get filled up with water and so the serpents come out on the earth’s surface. Since they are observed in plenty during this season, the belief that they bring rains might have been reinforced.
Fertility Cult
One of the earliest forms of religion, serpent worship is especially resorted to for offspring. The serpent is supposed to confer fertility on barren women. The roots of the fertility cult run deep in many parts of the country. In the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu it is believed that the curse of sterility can be wiped away by worshipping the Snake God. Barren women worship the snake idols installed under a Peepal tree and then smear it with sandal paste, turmeric and kumkum. They go around the tree 108 times and this is known as Ashwattha Pradakshina. Once the woman becomes a mother, she installs a snake idol under the tree. The reason for this belief is that the snake is a symbol of masculinity. Since pre-historic times it is believed that the snake, a vigorous masculine spirit, makes the earth fertile and a woman being the representative of the earth can be bestowed with fertility by worshipping the same symbol of masculinity. There may be some variation in the period and the mode of observance but Naga Panchami is celebrated in every nook and corner of India according to age-old rites. It continues to testify to the feelings of awe and veneration which the serpent evokes in the minds of people since the earliest times we have cognizance of.
