Nag Panchami Festival 2015 and Naga Nagini Mantras

Nag Panchami is an important Hindu Festival celebrated in the month of Shravan. Nag Panchami Festival is observed on the fifth day after Amavasi in Shravan month.This year Naga Panchami falls on Wednesday, 19th August 2015. This festival is also known as Nagarapanchami. Apart from Shravan Month this festival is also celebrated in some parts of India on the fifth day after Purnima in Ashar Month. This festival is also known as Mansa Devi Ashtanag Puja as the Snake Goddess Manasa Devi and Ashta Nag are worshiped on this day. Nag Panchami is known as Guga Navami in Punjab. On this day a huge snake is made from flour and worshiped. The Snakes are worshiped on this day to seek their blessings and protection from snake bites. The Snake Poison is deadly and it is also believed that snakes remember the faces and they take revenge with the whole family even if one of the members harms it. On the day the Snake God Shesha Nag and other nagas are revered. According to the Puranas, Brahmas son Kashyapas third wife is the mother of all Nagas. This is also a day to remember Lord Krishnas victory over Kaliya Snake.

According to Hindu mythology two of the most Popular Hindu Gods, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, are closely associated with serpents. While Lord Vishnu rests on the several hooded Snake Ananta as his bed, Lord Shiva wears a snake around his neck as an ornament. One may also remember that for churning the milky ocean and getting the divine nectar of immortality the Snake Vasuki was used as a rope. On the day of Nag Panchami, devotees and visit snake temples and snake pits and offer prayers to the snakes. Shiva temples are also crowded during this festival. In many places live cobras or their pictures or idols are worshiped and religious rites are performed to please them by offering them milk, turmeric, saffron, rice etc.

There is a popular belief that unmarried women who undertake Nagpanchami Vrat and Puja and feed the snakes will get good husbands apart from protection from snake bites. Many devotees fast from sunrise to sunset and after sunset eat food without salt or frying. In many parts of South India, Women decorate the doorsteps with Snake Kolams on this day. Paintings of Naag are also drawn on either side of the entrance of the home and worshiped. Nag Panchami Festival day is a good day to do Pujas like Naag Puja in any Shiva Temple and KaalSarp Dosh Nivarana Puja at Trayambakeshwar in Nashik District, especially if you are affected by Kaal Sarpa Dosha.

A Nag is male while a Nagini refers to a female snake. The Nag Panchami day is an excellent day for Naga – Nagini worship for physical and spiritual healing. The Nagas along with their consorts are worshipped and mantras are chanted. The mantra is Om Puuh Swaahaa where Puuh is the beeja for Naga or Nagini. One can add the name of the naga or nagini to get their separate mantras for chanting.

Nag Gayatri Mantra

Om Navkullaya Vidmahe Vishdantaaye Dhimahee Tanno Sarpah Prachodayat.