Mangalore : The first festival of the Hindu calendar, Nagara Panchami is celebrated with fervor and devotion in various temples in city on August 19, Wednesday.

Thousands of devotees flocked to the temples and offered various obeisance such as ‘Naga Thambila’ to the serpent god.

Nag Panchami, which is one of the significant festivals celebrated throughout the country, is on the fifth day of the moonlit fortnight of the month of Shravan (July/August). During this season, the serpents emerge from their holes and devotees worship them with milk, turmeric, tender coconut, honey, and flowers.

Nag Panchmi is a unique festival that is celebrated to worship snakes. Nag is a Hindu term used for snakes. The festival of Nag Panchami has its own religious importance and is celebrated in many parts of the country.

The association of snakes with the Hindu is not a new thing. There are many mythological stories that state that snakes have always been connected to the Hindu religion. Lord Shiva himself has a snake that can always be seen around his neck and Lord Vishnu has snake too named as ‘Sheshnag’. Therefore it is clear that there is a special significance in worshipping snake on the day of Nag Panchami.

According to Hindu puranic literature, Kashyapa, son of Lord Brahma, the creator had four consorts and the third wife was Kadroo who belonged to the Naga race of the Pitru Loka and she gave birth to the Nagas; among the other three, the first wife gave birth to Devas, the second to Garuda and the fourth to Daityas.

The devotees visit Naga temples and offer worship before the stone images of the Nag Devatha by bathing these images with honey, sugar, milk, ghee, and tender coconut water (Panchamrita), after which they consume part of these offerings as prasada or blessings from the Nag Devtha.

Kudupu Anantha Padmanbha temple. Mangaladevi, Shravu, Alake Nagabrahma in Mangalore, Subramanya in Sullia, Kalavar near Kundapur, and Manjeshwar in Kasargod are famous abodes of the Naga, attracting devotees in large numbers on Nag Panchami. Devotees seek the protection of the Nag Devtha by offering him Panchamrutha, a mixture of sugar, milk, honey, curds, and tender coconut water and then reverently consume the same, believing it to be his blessings.