Hundreds Celebrate Naag Panchami Festival in Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal, August 9: Nepal celebrated the festival of Naag Panchami, dedicated to worshipping the serpent deity. Hundreds of devotees gathered at Naag Pokhari in Kathmandu, offering milk, sweets, vermillion powders, and flowers to the serpent deity.
Naag Panchami has deep roots in Hindu tradition and is linked to ancient tales from the epic Mahabharata. According to legends, the serpent deity Kalia poisoned the Yamuna River, and Lord Krishna tamed Kalia to protect the villagers.
The festival is observed on the fifth day of the bright half-moon of the Shrawan month, according to the lunar calendar. People visit ponds and Naag temples to worship the serpent deity, marking the start of the festive season in Nepal.
Naag Panchami also symbolizes the bond between humans and nature. On this day, farmers refrain from digging or ploughing fields and instead create idols from the mud to worship the deity.
The serpent deity is also considered the god of water and rain. It is believed that homes where the Naag deity is worshipped are blessed with wealth and prosperity. The tradition began when a farmer accidentally killed a family of serpents while ploughing his field on Naag Panchami. The serpent sought revenge but blessed the farmer’s daughter when he saw her worshipping the serpent deity.
Doubts Revealed
Naag Panchami -: Naag Panchami is a Hindu festival where people worship snakes. It is believed that snakes have special powers and can bring good luck.
Kathmandu -: Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal, a country located north of India.
Naag Pokhari -: Naag Pokhari is a special pond in Kathmandu where people gather to celebrate Naag Panchami.
Mahabharata -: The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic story that tells about the great Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pandava princes.
serpent deity -: A serpent deity is a god or goddess that is represented as a snake. In Naag Panchami, people worship this deity to seek blessings.
ploughing fields -: Ploughing fields means using a tool to turn over the soil in a farm to prepare it for planting crops. Farmers avoid doing this on Naag Panchami to respect the snakes.
