Nag Panchami living in harmony with nature

IndIa is primarily an agriculturebased country and it’s not surprising that the ritual of worshipping the nature is a common practise. Nature worship has made the sun, the river, mountains and even animals motifs of power. Thus it is no surprise that Nag Panchami is one of the most important festivals in India celebrated to commemorate the existence of the snake god.Celebrated on the fifth day after amavasya of the shraavana month, Nag Panchami is another big festival for the devotees of shiva across India. On this day, people worship snakes by feeding them milk and also thronging prominent temples in their respective areas. 

Offering prayers at twelve jyotirlingas on this day is considered to be very auspicious in Hindu religion. Devotees also flock to famous temples for special prayers to get rid of harmful effects of ‘kal sarp yoga’ on this particular day.This year this festival will be celebrated on sunday (11 August) across the country. The snake god is worshipped differently in different parts of the country. The grandest celebrations can be seen in south India and in the states of West Bengal and Maharashtra. On this day mother of serpents, goddess Mansa is worshiped in West Bengal, Assam, and some parts of Odisha, while in Kerala devotees worship shesh Naag. 

It is believed that worshipping the snake god increases the family’s happiness and wealth and the devotees’ family is saved from the perils of snake bite. The prayers serve as protection to the devotee and the family. The main reason of celebrating this day perhaps stems from the fact that snakes pose a great threat during the monsoons. They usually come out of their boroughs as rainwater seeps in and while looking for a safe haven seek shelter in human habitats. They are worshipped to seek harmony.Apart from religious pundits, medical world too promotes protecting snakes to a large extent as snake poison has medicinal value. A right dose of their poison helps in saving lives.