The month of Shravan is one of the most auspicious months according to Hindu beliefs and there are various auspicious days that fall in Shrawan month and one of them is ‘Nag Panchami’.
Nag Panchami in 2022
Nag Panchami falls on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha and two days after Haryali Teej in the year 2022 it will be observed on 2nd August. This year Nag Panchami will be on Tuesday in Shrawan Month.
The devotees worship Nag Devta (God of serpents) and ask for their blessings and Nag Panchami is also known as Nag Chaturthi.
History of Nag Panchami
It is believed that the festival of Nag Panchami began when the King of Snakes Takshak stalked and killed Parikshit, father of king Janamejaya. To take revenge from Takshak of his father’s death, King Janamejaya started a Yagya to eliminate the entire Nag clan and after that nagas went to Lord Brahma who assured them that in their next life they will be worshiped as gods.
Another reason why people believe we celebrate Nag Panchami is that Lord Krishna defeated the evil snake Kaliya who attacked Krishna (child avatar of lord Vishu) and after some time Kaliya realised that the child was not ordinary and begged for forgiveness. Lord Krishna saved the villagers from torments of the evil snake, Kaliya.
Significance of Nag Panchami
Nag Panchami holds alot of significance in Hinduism because it is believed that a snake is the ornament of lord Shiva which he carries in his neck and Nag Panchami is celebrated in the Shrawan month which is dedicated to lord Shiva.
Nag Panchami is also associated with lord Vishnu because he rests on sheshnaag. sheeshnag is considered the king of all snakes and according to hindu scriptures sheeshnag has 1000 heads and it hold hold all the planets on his head.
How do people celebrate Nag Panchami?
People who follow Hinduism celebrate Nag Panchami by worshiping snake deties, people offer milk and sweets to snakes and people also observe fast on this day. In many places big fares are also organised to celebrate this auspicious day.
