Nag Panchami: A Festival of Serpent Worship in Hindu Culture
Nag Panchami is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Nag Devtas (serpent deities). It is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Shrawan (July–August), which is considered highly auspicious. The festival honors snakes as divine beings that symbolize fertility, protection, and prosperity.
Nag Panchami customs include presenting milk, grains, honey, flowers, and sweets to pictures of Nagas or live snakes. People in Nepal paste colorful snake drawings on their house doors to ward off misfortune and natural disasters. Devotees also offer prayers at Nag temples and sacred ponds such as Nag Pokhari in Kathmandu. During this season, farmers worship snakes in hopes of receiving rain and good harvests.