Nag Panchami
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Nag Panchami is celebrated to commemorate the battle between Nag and Garud. Legend has it that the stone image of Garud at Changu Narayan is said to perspires during the festival and priests are sent to wipe the perspiration off with a handkerchief. They later present it to the king and water is used to make it into a snake bite remedy, despite the fact that there are few snakes inhabiting Nepal.
Nag Panchami translates to the “Festival of Snakes”. In the ancient Nepal, Nags or Serpent Kings were worshipped and it was believed that their relationship with the Gods and nature would secure devotees’ survival. The myths and legends surrounding the Nags have a few versions of the story that led to a creation of the festival. In one story version, it is said that the Kathmandu Valley used to be a vast lake. As the story goes, when humans started to drain the lake to make space for villages and settlements the Nags became enraged. To protect themselves against the wrath of the Serpent Kings, the humans gave the Nags certain areas as pilgrimage destinations and that through these actions harmony was restored to nature.
Another popular tale is one of a Tantric King that used the powers he possessed to force the Nags to return rain to the land which they had taken away. The Nags did give in to the King’s amazing powers, but he also recognized their powers. To honor the power of the Nags, the King created the Nag Panchami festival to honor the Gods. As the serpents were believed to be capable of controlling the rains, it is important to the people of Nepal to show their respect during the festival to insure that they do not offend the Gods.
The festival usually takes place in the month of August and as part of the celebration, residents post pictures of serpents above the doors to their home to ward off the evil spirits. Prayers are said during the festival while people wearing demon masks, dance in the streets entertaining festival participants. It is also believed that offerings should be given to the Serpent Kings during the festival and residents leave food items such as milk and honey in their gardens for the Nags, or snakes. The offerings and prayers are then honored by the Serpent Kings by ensuring rain and protection for the people of Nepal.
