Prof. (Dr.) R.D. Gupta
“Nag Panchami” that perpetuates the cult of snake worship has been celebrated in every nook and corner of the country since the Vedic period. It is held every year on the fifth day of the brighter half of the month of Shrawan (Sawan) or Bhadon according to the Bikrami Era which coincides with August to September inaccordance with Christan Era.
As a thumb rule regarding celebrating “Nag Panchami”, the elderly people of Jammuites have predicted that this day comes off twelve days after the first day after Janam Ashatami is over. This year, this festival falls on 30th August 2014.
The total awe and veneration with which the Indians hold snakes on the day of “Nag Panchami” is the most eloquent expression to indicate unified devotion to the “Shesh Nag” (the king of serpents). “Sheshnag” symbolizes eternity as Lord Vishnu (Preserver of the Brahamand-Universe) on its coils overseeing the dissolution of one universe and creation of another. Ancient iconography too represents eternity with the serpent swallowing its own tail.
Legends: The Hindus believe in the immortality of the snakes because of the sloughing of the skin. To the Buddhists, the divinity stems from the myth of “Cobra” saving the life of the Lord Budha. The Jains believe in that the hooded serpent was the protector of the Muni Parshwa Nath. This myth has been detailed in the many rock carvings of the saint in old monasteries.
Another legend regarding celebration of “Nag Panchami”, is that once Guru Gorakhnath passed by Baltis Shirale – a village in Saingle town in Maharashtra and noticed an old woman was praying for her daughter’s marriage before cobra’s idol of clay. The mendicant (Beggar) promptly turned himself into a snake and appeared before the woman. Far from being afraid, the woman took the snake to her home and nurtured it for days together. One fine morning, a young handsome man appeared before the woman at her doorstep asking for the hand of her daughter. It was “Nag Panchami day”. When predictably the serpent had disappeared from the scene and since then Nag Panchami day is held by Hindus in general and Nagas in particular.
Celebration of Nag Panchami:
The celebration of “Nag Panchami” happens to take place during monsoon when most of the snakes leave their holes owing to more moisture and seek their shelter in people’s homes particularly in rural areas. This leads to incidence of snake bites and sometimes deaths occur at the time of the year.
So it is more out of fear, than faith, that the villagers set out to appease the snake God on”Nag Panchami” day. In this respect live snakes or their pictures are worshipped in order to obtain their good will. To seek immunity from the bites of snakes, these are trapped and bathed in milk. Their hoods are sprinkled with turmeric powder and saffron, and then rice is offered as “naivedye”.
In many Indian homes including Jammu and Kashmir especially in Jammu region, elderly women or men draw pictures of snakes on wooden planks or on floors of rooms or on the walls of the rooms as well as kitchens. Such pictures are drawn from the wet ground rice flour. The so drawn snakes are then offered with “Churi” mixture of sweet Khir (prepared from rice, milk and sugar) and salty Khir (Maheri), purah, Kewar etc. Mantras are recited and prayings are made by remembering deities known as “Kulh devatas”. In some of the families, however, frying on this day is totally forbidden by custom.
After offering the “Churi” to the snakes some of its portion is added to the crows by calling them by saying “Koh” “Koh”.
It is point to mention that in some of the families so drawn pictures of snakes on floors are rubbed off immediately after offering the “Churi” and worshipping.
On the other hand, in some of the other families these are rubbed off just after a day or so. But the snakes drawn on the walls of rooms/kitchens remain upto the next Nag Panchami, when these are rubbed off and redrawn. Some of the people particularly dwelling in the villages, go to worship the places of snakes which are believed to be hidden in the big holes made by the ants, known as Ants hills. Locally, ants hills are called Vermis or Baba Surgals Jagas.
In Western India particularly in, Maharashtra the Nag Panchami is celebrated on a massive scale. The women after taking morning bath put on a dress with 9 yard (about 3m) saree and dripping gold ornaments offer to snakes sweetened milk, saffron and flowers, displaced by snake charmers in earthen pots.
In Southern India, figures of snakes are drawn in red sandal wood paste on wooden boards and then are worshipped. Alternatively, clay images of snakes are purchased from the markets and in presence of all family members milk is offered with great ceremony.
(The author Former Associate Dean-cum Chief Scientist KVK, SKUAST-J)
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