Nag Panchami: worshipping serpent images, respecting creatures
Nag Panchami is Shravana Shukla Panchami. Per Dharmasindhu, the Panchami taken is the one that lasts three muhurtas after sunrise and is joined to Shashthi. The text speaks of worshipping serpents drawn on walls or made of clay. Feeding milk to live snakes or catching them harms them; worship only with a drawing or a clay figure.
Worship of serpents drawn on a wall or shaped in clay: a day of respect for nature and creatures.
What Nag Panchami is
In the monsoon, water fills fields and burrows and snakes come out into view. In this season, on Shravana Shukla Panchami, comes Nag Panchami: a day of worshipping the serpent deities and of respect for all creatures. For farmers, snakes are also allies that keep field rats in check.
It is widely kept in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Bengal worships Manasa Devi in this season, and parts of the south keep festivals like Nagula Chavithi on a different tithi. Some places keep Nag Panchami on Shravana's Krishna Panchami. Customs differ; this page is about Shravana Shukla Panchami.
How the day is decided
Shastra (Dharmasindhu): Shravana Shukla Panchami is Nag Panchami. It is taken as lasting three muhurtas from sunrise and para-viddha (joined to the next tithi, Shashthi). A muhurta is about 48 minutes, so three muhurtas are about 2 h 24 min.
| Situation | Day |
|---|---|
| On day 2 the Panchami lasts three muhurtas or more after sunrise | Day 2 |
| On day 2 it lasts less than three muhurtas, and on day 1 the Chaturthi touch is under three muhurtas | Day 1 |
| On day 1 the Chaturthi touch is over three muhurtas | Day 2, even with two muhurtas of Panchami |
The author of Dharmasindhu adds that a Panchami of only one muhurta should not be taken. Shastra (Nirnaya Sindhu): for the serpent worship, the Panchami vrat joined to Shashthi should be kept.
The story: tradition / Purana story
Many stories go with Nag Panchami. In one folk story a farmer's plough killed a serpent's young by accident; seeing the mother's grief, the farmer's family asked forgiveness and began worshipping the serpents. From this, many places keep a custom of not ploughing or digging on this day. Another story is of Krishna sending the serpent Kaliya away from the Yamuna, and the Mahabharata story of the sage Astika protecting the serpents is also remembered on this day.
We did not find these stories in the texts in our library; we keep them as tradition. Their heart is not fear but living together with nature and every creature in it.
How families celebrate
Shastra (Dharmasindhu): on this day, serpents drawn on a wall or similar, or made of clay, are worshipped, by family custom.
Shastra (Nirnaya Sindhu): it describes serpents made with cow dung on both sides of the house door, worshipped with curd, durva, kusha grass, fragrance and flowers.
Even today many homes draw serpents at the door with red ochre, turmeric, charcoal or cow dung, or use clay serpents. Women mark the day with swings, monsoon songs and mehendi. In some places no griddle or knife is used that day and cold or ready food is eaten, and some keep a fast. Karnataka has a custom of worshipping anthills; there too, placing flowers and a lamp outside is better than pouring milk into the hole.
A simple puja
- Draw a serpent on both sides of the door or on paper with turmeric, red ochre or roli, or use a small clay figure.
- Light a lamp and remember the serpent deities and Shiva.
- Offer turmeric, kumkum, rice, flowers and durva to the drawing.
- Place a small bowl of water mixed with a little milk before the drawing; later pour it into plants.
- Hear the story, and as a family resolve to protect nature and creatures.
No paid puja is needed.
Snake safety and your own health
No milk for live snakes: snakes don't drink milk and can't digest it. Snake charmers keep them hungry and thirsty for days before making them drink, which can make them sick and even kill them. Pulling their fangs and keeping them shut in baskets also causes suffering. Catching, keeping or displaying snakes for money is against wildlife protection law. So worship only with a drawing or a clay figure, and don't pay people who show snakes.
If you see a snake: keep your distance, don't provoke or kill it, and call the local forest department or a snake-rescue helpline. If someone is bitten, keep them calm, keep the limb still, and take them to a hospital at once; cutting, sucking, tight tying or charms cannot replace treatment.
If you fast: people who are unwell, pregnant, diabetic or on medicine can take a lighter form (fruit, milk, one meal) or ask a doctor. For health, the doctor comes first.
In ePandit
In ePandit: our calendar shows the festival day with your city's sunrise and sunset. The day is decided once, for Ujjain; your city's times are shown separately. We don't compute muhurta yet, and we never call a festival good or bad for anyone.
Feeding milk to live snakes harms them and catching them is illegal; worship with a drawing or clay figure.
Frequently asked questions
What does Dharmasindhu say to worship?
Serpents drawn on walls or made of clay, by family custom.
Should live snakes be given milk?
No. Snakes don't digest milk and it can make them sick; keeping them captive breaks wildlife law. Worship a drawing or clay figure.
How is the date fixed?
The Shravana Shukla Panchami that lasts at least three muhurtas after sunrise and is joined to Shashthi; if shorter, Dharmasindhu's sub-rules.
Should milk be poured into anthills?
Pouring milk into burrows isn't good for the creatures. Placing flowers, rice and a lamp outside and bowing is a complete puja.
Send this page to your family group
Sources: Dharmasindhu, Nāga-pañcamī-vrata, Three muhurtas at sunrise, joined to the next tithi · Dharmasindhu, Nāga-pañcamī (Hindi), Lasting three muhurtas from sunrise · Dharmasindhu, Nāga-pañcamī (sub-rules), Short on day 2 and a short Chaturthi touch on day 1 → day 1 · Dharmasindhu, Nāga-pūjā, Serpents drawn on walls or made of clay · Nirṇaya Sindhu, Nāga-pañcamī, Panchami joined to Shashthi · Nirṇaya Sindhu, Nāga-pūjā (citing the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa), Serpents in cow dung on both sides of the door · Tradition, The folk story of the farmer and the serpent; Kaliya and Astika; not ploughing; anthill worship; swings and monsoon songs