Nag Panchami 2025: The Festival of Serpent Worship

Offerings to Serpents

In many parts of India, devotees offer milk, flowers, and rice to live cobras or to images and clay models of serpents. The serpent is garlanded and prayers offered. In urban areas, clay images of nagas are worshipped in place of live snakes, following wildlife protection guidelines.

Nag Temples and Anthill Worship

Women visit Nag temples or anthill homes — believed to be dwellings of serpents — to offer milk, turmeric, flowers, and sweets. Many families have a traditional household Nag (kul-nag) deity who is honoured on this day with special puja.

Prayers for Family Protection

Women fast on Nag Panchami and pray to serpent deities for the protection of their brothers, husbands, and children from snakebite and evil. In Maharashtra, sisters tie a protective thread on their brothers' wrists on this day, similar to Raksha Bandhan.

Folk Arts and Wrestling

In Maharashtra, Nag Panchami is associated with traditional wrestling bouts held in akharas during the Shravan month. Women create intricate rangoli patterns of serpents. Folk songs dedicated to the nag are sung in rural areas.

What is the sacred significance of serpents (nagas) in Hinduism?

Serpents (nagas) hold a uniquely venerated place in Hindu cosmology. Shesha Naga (or Ananta) is the cosmic serpent on whose coils Lord Vishnu reclines — the entire universe rests on his infinite coils. Vasuki, another great serpent, encircles Lord Shiva's neck as an ornament. The earth is mythologically described as resting on the hood of Shesha. Serpents are also associated with fertility, rainfall, and the underground treasury of the earth. The cobra is sacred to both Shiva and Vishnu traditions. Serpent worship predates the Vedic period in India and is considered one of Hinduism's most ancient folk traditions, integrated into the broader pantheon as naga deities with their own temples, festivals, and legends.

What offerings are made to serpents on Nag Panchami?

The primary offering to serpents on Nag Panchami is milk — poured over live cobras (in rural areas), clay or stone naga images, or the anthill homes of serpents. Milk is considered sacred to nagas and is offered with prayers for protection from snakebite and for the welfare of the family. Other traditional offerings include flowers (especially white jasmine), turmeric, sandalwood paste, rice, and sweets. In some regions, cooked rice and kheer (sweet rice pudding) are offered. The puja is typically performed by women, who fast and pray for the safety of their brothers and children. After the puja, the offered milk and food are distributed as prasad.