Nag Panchami is a festival which is dedicated to snakes. They are a part of nature and in Indian culture we worship each and every part of nature.Snakes are considered dangerous but are worshiped as they destroy everything which is unwanted by human beings.Nag Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shravan month as per the Hindu calender.
According to folklore (legends or oral history or popular beliefs) there were five brothers who went to kill a cobra. So the angry female cobra set out to attack all the brothers. One of the brothers had his sister with him who at once began to pray to the snake to forgive her brother as there would be no male representative of the family left then. Thus the cobra spared the last brother.
The sisters in one family in Goa on Nag Panchami prays for her brother by offering milk and 'liao' to the snake. This is either other to the snake idol or the tulsi. Some homes bring home the clay idol, others just pray to the snake god in their minds.The main dish for this festival is 'patolleo'. While different states have their own sweet preparation, in Goa patolleo is the traditional dish.
Another family in Goa follow the tradition of worshiping the snake idol. In the morning the bathe and cleanse themselves and then they do puja and offer milk and rice to the idol. Some of them throw the idol in a well or river at the end of the day, others keep it till the next year and then immerse it.
In olden times in villages, the snakes used to help the farmer by burrowing in their fields. they would eat the rats and thus protect the fields. So the farmers wife considered the snake as her brother. Therefore once a year, snakes are worshiped by feeding them with soft rice and milk with sugar and a puja is performed so that he will always be with them and help them. Over time this slowly became a tradition and the snake charmers used to bring snakes to the locality on this day so that people can worship them. Nowadays as snakes are not found in cities, people make snake idols of clay and worship them and immerse them at the end of the day.
On this day no digging is done near the property so as to harm the snake.
On the next day another big festival called Saptah is celebrated by the people of Vasco.
According to folklore (legends or oral history or popular beliefs) there were five brothers who went to kill a cobra. So the angry female cobra set out to attack all the brothers. One of the brothers had his sister with him who at once began to pray to the snake to forgive her brother as there would be no male representative of the family left then. Thus the cobra spared the last brother.
The sisters in one family in Goa on Nag Panchami prays for her brother by offering milk and 'liao' to the snake. This is either other to the snake idol or the tulsi. Some homes bring home the clay idol, others just pray to the snake god in their minds.The main dish for this festival is 'patolleo'. While different states have their own sweet preparation, in Goa patolleo is the traditional dish.
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| Patolleo |
Another family in Goa follow the tradition of worshiping the snake idol. In the morning the bathe and cleanse themselves and then they do puja and offer milk and rice to the idol. Some of them throw the idol in a well or river at the end of the day, others keep it till the next year and then immerse it.
In olden times in villages, the snakes used to help the farmer by burrowing in their fields. they would eat the rats and thus protect the fields. So the farmers wife considered the snake as her brother. Therefore once a year, snakes are worshiped by feeding them with soft rice and milk with sugar and a puja is performed so that he will always be with them and help them. Over time this slowly became a tradition and the snake charmers used to bring snakes to the locality on this day so that people can worship them. Nowadays as snakes are not found in cities, people make snake idols of clay and worship them and immerse them at the end of the day.
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| Nag Panchami Idol |
On this day no digging is done near the property so as to harm the snake.
On the next day another big festival called Saptah is celebrated by the people of Vasco.
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