Nag Panchami Today: The day is significant for followers of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. On this day, in the month of Sawan, devotees pray to the Naga Devta or the snake god. Lord Shiva’s idols and pictures are incomplete without a snake around his neck. Shiva is also known as Nageshwar and the snake that wraps around its neck like an ornament is called Vasuki.
Snakes have long been associated with many gods in Hindu mythology. The “six-headed serpent” or “Sheshnag” was Lord Vishnu’s vehicle and according to some writings the world rests on the head of the Sheshnag
Nag Panchami is one of the oldest festivals in all of India during the rainy season. Nag Panchami is also known as Nag Chaturthi or Nagul Chavithi. In Gujarat, Nag Panchami is observed a few days after most states and this year on August 8th. In Andhra Pradesh the puja is carried out shortly after Diwali.
Date and time of the Nag Panchami 2020
Nag Panchami Date: Saturday July 25, 2020
Puja Muhurat: 5:39 a.m. to 8:22 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours 44 minutes
Panchami Tithi starts on July 24, 2020 at 2:34 p.m.
Panchami Tithi ends on July 25, 2020 at 12:02 p.m.
Nag Panchami Puja
The main ritual is to offer milk to the Nag Devta or the snake god. Offering snake milk is an ancient tradition in India on Panchami Tithi and it is said that the ritual keeps evil away. Many also watch quickly on this day. Food made with milk as the main ingredient is also offered to God as Prashad.
It is known that people make snake idols with clay for puja at home. Milk, turmeric, kumkum and flowers are used for puja. Flowers and milk are also kept near the caves and holes where snakes can be found.
Nag Panchami and mythology
According to Hindu scriptures, Lord Shiva’s serpent Vasuki participated in the Samudra Manthan, which explains the origin of Amrita or the nectar of immortality. Vasuki helped both the Devas and the Asuras tie him to the Mandara or Mandar Parvat so that they could use him as their troubled rope to get the Amrita out of the ocean. Vasuki is mentioned extensively in Hindu scriptures and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
In Buddhist mythology, Vasuki and the other snake gods appear in the audience when Gautama Buddha delivered his sermons. In India, devotees pray to several snake gods on Nag Panchami. Some of them are Ananta, Shesha, Padma, Kambala, Kaliya and Vasuki.