Nag Panchami 2020: Why Is Nag Panchami Celebrated?

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Nag Panchami is observed on the Shukla Paksha Panchami in the Shravan month according to the Hindi calendar. This year, the day is falling on July 25 (Saturday). The muhurta (timing) for the puja will be between 05:39 AM to 08:22 AM.

Why is Nag Panchami celebrated? Shravana Masam, according to the Hindu calendar, is a month in which most of the religious occasions take place.

Various religious festivals like Bheemana Amavasya, Teej and then Nag Panchami are celebrated. In Sanskrit, 'Nag' means snake.

In ancient India, people worshipped animals, trees and natural objects. Maybe, the concept of 'Nag Panchami' is rooted from there.

Why is Nag Panchami celebrated? There are several stories and myths behind the significance of the celebration of Nag Panchami.

This occasion is celebrated all over India and it falls on the 5th day of the bright fortnight in the Shravana Masam that is July-August.

Knowing the significance of Nag Panchami will further help you to celebrate this festival in all its grandeur. Monsoon is the season of snakes, as they are the main threat to humankind.

Also Read: Significance Of Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami is celebrated to worship snakes and they are fed milk to stay calm and not to harm human beings.

To know why Nag Panchami is celebrated, you should know the stories and myths related to it. There is another interesting fact behind the occasion of Nag Panchami.

The day is also celebrated as Garuda Panchami. Garuda is the royal eagle and carrier of Lord Vishnu. He is also the enemy of serpents.

To save humankind, people worship Garuda to destroy snakes. Hence, read on to know more about the different significances of Nag Panchami.

1. Agricultural Significance:

Why is Nag Panchami celebrated? Shravana masam is the rich time of cultivation. But, fields are the dwelling ground of snakes. To pacify them, Nag Panchami is celebrated, so that they won't bite the farmers while cultivating fields.

2. Medicinal Significance:

There are medicinal values of celebrating Nag Panchami. According to the present day situation, snakes are endangered. To save snakes from being killed and used for research purposes, Nag Panchami serves a significant day, as snakes are not killed on this day. If awareness can be spread more, serpents can be saved.

3. Story Of Lord Krishna:

When Lord Krishna was young, one day he was playing at the banks of the river, Yamuna, with his friends and he lost his ball in the river. That river was the dwelling place of Kaliya, the giant snake. It attacked Krishna; and after a great battle, he made the snake to leave the place. To commemorate Krishna's victory over Kaliya, Nag Panchami is celebrated.

4. Worship To Snake God:

According to religious beliefs, Snake god is prayed on the 5th date of every month. On the 5th day of the bright fortnight of Shravan masam, the Snake God is specially worshipped and a resolution is taken not to kill snakes unnecessarily.

5. Nag Panchami And Ancient Civilization:

Snakes are the symbol of incarnation of power and the sun. According to the ancient beliefs of the Hindu religion, snakes, ancestors, fire and sun are given the most importance. Nag Panchami is the celebration to worship that eternal power.

6. Festival To Celebrate The Bond Between Human & Nature:

As you know, this is celebrated in the monsoon which is the time for agriculture, which marks a strong bond of human ties with nature. Besides, humans worship snakes to stay away, which symbolises they are not favouring the idea of killing the endangered species.

7. How Is The Day Celebrated:

On this day, farmers don't dig the fields. They offer milk, fried paddy and durba to the snake idol, made of mud, and worship the snake god. In several places, Lord Shiva is worshipped as well, as he is the protector of snakes.