Nagpanchami Festival

This festival is celebrated on the fifth day (panchami) of the bright fortnight of Shravan. The monarch Janmejay who performed the sacrificial fire of snakes (sarpayadnya) was appeased by Sage Astik. When Janmejay told Him to ask for a boon, he asked for cessation of the sacrificial fire. The day on which the sacrificial fire was stopped was the fifth day. On this day, figures of nine cobras (navanag) are drawn with turmeric or red sandalwood (raktachandan) on a wooden seat (pat) and are worshipped and offered milk and parched rice (lahya). According to the scriptures, on this day one should not chop, cut, fry, even keep a frying pan on the fire, etc. The nine cobras comprise the nine major groups of pure particles (pavitrakas). The pure particles are the most subtle, divine particles (chaitanyakas).