Nag Panchami 2021: Check date, puja muhurat, and significance of this auspicious festival

Nag Panchami is an auspicious and traditional Hindu festival that is celebrated every year on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Sawan month. Devotees, who observe this day, celebrate it in reverence of the Nag Devtas (serpents or snakes). As per Vedic astrology, the serpentine deity is the supreme lord of Panchami Tithi. On this day, the serpents which reside on the neck of Lord Shiva are worshipped by devotees. Hindus believe that worshiping Lord Shiva along with Nag Devta eases all hardships in life. The Panchami Tithi (fifth day), Shukla Paksha during Shravan month is considered auspicious and holy to worship Nag Devta, according to the Hindu traditional calendar. Nag Panchami Date, Tithi, and Puja Muhurat: Nag Panchami is being celebrated today, 13 August. While the Tithi began at 03:24 pm on 12 August, it will end on 13 August at 01:42 pm. As per the Puja Muhurat, this sacred festival will take place from 05:49 am to 08:28 am. The total duration of the festival is 02 hours 39 mins. How is Nag Panchami celebrated across the country? Every year, Nag Panchami falls in the month of July or August, as per the Gregorian calendar. Women devotees on this day worship the Nag Devta by offering milk to snakes. Moreover, devotees also pray for the well-being and happiness of their families and loved ones. This sacred festival is observed across the country, but celebrations and festivities can be majorly seen in Maharashtra. A village near Mumbai named Battis Shirala is very popular for its Naga Panchami celebrations. People in this village also believe that those who are suffering from Kaal Sarp Dosh are likely to be free from the negative effects if they worship Nag Devta on Nag Panchami. Devotees also ensure to buy serpents made of silver, stone, and wood. Even paintings that feature snakes having bathed in milk are bought by people during this time. Significance of Nag Panchami: Several mythological books including Mahabharata, Ramayana, and others have narrated various stories associated with snakes. Other than Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna too has several tales connected with snakes. As per a popular belief, Nag Panchami is marked to commemorate Lord Krishna’s victory over the Kaliya Naag. On the occasion of Nag Panchami, 12 nag devtas are worshipped. Some of them are Shesha, Kaliya, Vasuki, Anant, Padma, Dhritrashtra, Ashvatara, Karatoka, Shankhapala, Kambala, Takshaka, and Pingala. Shesha Nag is said to balance Earth on its back.