Naag Panchami today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 21: The festival of Naag Panchami is being celebrated on Monday throughout the nation by pasting pictures of the serpent deity above the main entrance of houses. 

On the occasion, people mostly visit Naag Pokhari of Naxal and Taudaha Naag Pokhari of Kirtipur Municipality. People also visit nearby temples or ponds which are mainly dedicated to snakes to worship snake deities.

Moreover, a big fare is organised at Changunarayan Temple, which lies on top of a small hill in Bhaktapur. A large crowd of devotees gathers on the temple premises on this day. Naag Panchami falls on the Panchami of Shrawan Shuklapaksha every year. 

The beautiful part of this festival is pasting a photo of the serpent deity and snakes on the main gate and doorways of houses and businesses.

On the occasion, people wash the doorway early in the morning and the previous year's serpent picture is replaced with a new one. Brahmin priests take cow dung and dubo (pure grass) and stick it with the picture above the doors.

It is believed that worshipping the serpent deity protects against the snakes. 

There are 12 serpents present in Vedic Darshan including Ananta, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kambala, Karkotaka, Ashvatara, Dhritarashtra, Shankapala, Kalia, Takshaka and Pingala.