Serpent Worship in India
Serpent worship is called ophiolatry and is common in India. In Kerala, for instance, there are many sarppakavus or serpent groves that are maintained by Hindu families. The family ensures that the flora and fauna in the grove are not harmed. They also perform Poojas and light lamps in the grove. They take care not to chop trees or harm any snakes living in the sarppakavu as it is a sin and may bring upon them the curse of the serpents.
Keralites believe that serpents keep guard over ancestral treasures and watch over the family as guardian deities. They also represent fertility and can supposedly bless childless couples with progeny when they perform certain rituals. They are also the Gods of the earth; hence farmers worship them for good harvest and rain by performing Poojas and making offerings.
Serpents in the Puranas
Serpents or Nagas feature in the Hindu Puranas. The hooded cobra is regarded as the Serpent God or Naga Devta. Nagaaradhana, or snake worship, has been practiced in Hindu religion since ancient times.
Snakes supposedly dwell in a separate world called Naga Loka in the nether world. Aadi Sesha and Vasuki are the major Nag Devtas. Many deities have associations with serpents. For example, Lord Vishnu reclines on the serpent Aadi Sesha when he is in Vaikunta. It is said that Aadi Sesha carries the weight of the entire Earth on his shoulders.
Lord Shiva wears a snake as a garland around his neck. Lord Ganesha wears Naga Yagnopaveetham (sacred thread). His brother, Lord Muruga, is worshipped in the form of a serpent. Sri Venkateshwara at Tirumala wears Nagabharana on his shoulders.
In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna says that He is Anantha among the Nagas and Vasuki among the Serpents. During Samudra Manthan, Vasuki was the rope used for churning the ocean. Tirumala is also called Seshachalam after Aadi Sesha. The 7 hills have a serpent’s form when seen from afar.
In Treta Yuga, Aadi Sesha incarnated as Lakshmana, Lord Rama’s younger brother. In Dwapara Yuga, he was Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. In the Mahabharatha, Arjuna married a Naga Kanya called Uloopi.
The great Madhva saint, Sri Jaya Theertharu (TeekaRayaru), is supposedly the Aavesha avathara of Aadi Sesha. Saint Sri Raghavendra Swamy is said to have worshipped Naga Devta by offering milk daily for 13 years when he stayed in Appanacharya’s house at Bichhali near Mantralayam.
Famous Naga Kshetras
Naga Devta is one of the 9 presiding deities of Yagnopaveetham. Anthills, where snakes dwell, are seen as temples of the serpent God. Snake idols can also be seen installed under Banyan trees. There are even exclusive temples for snake worship. Mannarasala temple and Vetticode temple in Kerala are examples. Both were supposedly consecrated by Lord Parasurama after he created Kerala.
People worship the Snake Gods for the welfare of their families and children.. Other famous Naga Kshethras include Sri Kukke Subramanya in South Canara in Karnataka State, Sri Kshethra Kudupu near Mangalore, Kalahasthi near Tirupathi, Ghaati Subramanya near Doddabalapur in Karnataka, Thirunageswaram near Kumbhakonam and Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, Manasa Devi temple in Hardwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Nageshwar Jyothirlinga Kshetra near Dwaraka. The six Muruga temples in Tamil Nadu, viz. Thiruttani, Palani, Tiruchendur, Tirupparakundram, Swami Malai and Pazamudhircholai are also Naga Kshetras. Festivals Honoring Serpents
The major festivals for the Naga Devtas are Naga Chaturthi on the 4th day in the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of Shravan month and Naga Panchami on the next day. Aadi Sesha is the presiding deity for Naga Panchami.
It is very auspicious to worship the Serpent God on these days. It was also on this day that Lord Brahma granted a boon to serpents that human beings would worship them. It was also on Naga Panchami that King Janamejaya stopped his Sarpa Yaga, thereby preventing the serpent clan from being wiped out totally.
Naga Panchami Rituals
On this day, people draw pictures of snakes on both sides of the outer wall of their houses. They also visit a ‘Puttu’ or anthill and offer cow’s milk. Offerings include dishes made with til seeds, jaggery, and rice.
They also take some Mrittika (sacred mud) from the Puttu and apply it to their body as it can supposedly cure diseases. Others worship at home by doing Abisheka for snake idols with cow’s milk.
Many also fast on Naga Chaturthi and break the fast the next day after worshipping the Naga Devta once again.
On Naga Chaturthi/Panchami, people do not dig the soil, plow fields, or cut trees, as such activities may cause harm to serpents.
Naga Panchami day is also known as Garuda Panchami. People worship Lord Garuda, too, along with the Naga Devta.
In some regions of South India, people celebrate Naga Chaturthi on the 4th day of the bright fortnight in Karthigai month (mid-November-mid-December). During Skanda Shasti, which is on the 6th day of the bright fortnight in Margasirsha month, too, people worship Lord Muruga as Naga Devta.
Festivals like Naga Panchami and Naga Chaturthi teach us to live in harmony with all creatures that share our earth.
