What does the Nag Panchami festival in India celebrate?

Question

Here is the question : WHAT DOES THE NAG PANCHAMI FESTIVAL IN INDIA CELEBRATE?

Option

Here is the option for the question :

  • The god Vishnu
  • Snakes
  • Harvest season
  • Motherhood

The Answer:

And, the answer for the the question is :

Snakes

Explanation:

Every summer, Hindus around the world worship Nag Devta, the Lord of Serpents, with offerings of milk, sweets, flowers and even sacrifices. Paintings of snakes and spells to fend off harmful ones are placed on doorways and the exteriors of dwellings. The origin of this holiday is surrounded by a lot of mythology. One claims that the occasion honors Lord Krishna’s triumph over the evil serpent Kaliya.

What does the Nag Panchami festival in India celebrate?
Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated in India to worship snakes, revered as guardians of dharma (righteousness) in Hinduism. Snakes are offered milk, prayers, and respect on Nag Panchami day, which falls in the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Shravan. Originating in eastern India, Nag Panchami has spread nationwide as a day to pray for protection from snake bites and honor snakes as symbols of guardianship and renewal.

Like many Hindu festivals, Nag Panchami has mythological significance. According to legend, Goddess Parvati performed severe penance to unite with Lord Shiva. When Parvati’s penance threatened to destroy the universe, Shiva appeared to pacify her. Parvati asked Shiva to manifest as a lingam so she could perform yajna (fire sacrifice) to worship the lingam. However, the yajna was obstructed by snakes, angering Parvati until Shiva revealed Nag Panchami and worship of snakes would please her.

On Nag Panchami day, places of worship are decorated with snake motifs and yellow/orange colors. Devotees keep fasts, offer snakes milk, ground turmeric and banana in rituals of anjali, or “surrender.” Snakes are snake charmed through music and coloring yellow stripes along their bodies with turmeric. Special prayers and shlokas (hymns) are sung in praise of snakes as guardians and protectors. Prominent deities worshipped during Nag Panchami include Ananta Shesha, Vasuki, Adiseshan and Takshaka. There are snakes temples like Shesh Mandir in Varanasi.

While Nag Panchami honors snakes, snake bites remain a threat in India. By venerating snakes, people pray for protection through rendering them reverence. Folklore also believes placing snakes in the center of worship and honor during this day helps snake charmers establish dominance over serpents. However, many Hindus view excessive snake worship as concerning given the threat of venomous snakes. Nag Panchami serves as a reminder of snake guardianship in dharma but also a call for continued caution regarding India’s diverse snake population.

Nag Panchami brings Hindus together in praying, fasting, decorating and celebrating snakes as revered deities and protectors. It is a colorful festival highlighting the diversity of Hindu faith and culture. Though snakes inspire both reverence and fear, Nag Panchami ensures they remain an important part of Hindu spiritual and religious heritage. By commemorating this day dedicated to Snake Pitams (Noble Serpents), the cycles of life, death and renewal they represent are honored. Nag Panchami shall forever stand as a celebration of guardianship, guarding against threat, and the complexities of living among serpents in the land of alleys and forests. Hindus continue establishing their devotion through this vibrant festival recognizing snakes as important symbols in the journey of faith.