India Snake worship

manasa in village in sundarbans, west bengal, india



devotions nagadevata

snakes, nagas, had high status in hindu mythology. nāga (sanskrit:नाग) sanskrit , pāli word deity or class of entity or being, taking form of large snake, found in hinduism , buddhism. use of term nāga ambiguous, word may refer, in similar contexts, 1 of several human tribes known or nicknamed nāgas ; elephants; , ordinary snakes, particularly king cobra , indian cobra, latter of still called nāg in hindi , other languages of india. female nāga nāgī. snake represents rebirth, death , mortality, due casting of skin , being symbolically reborn . on large part of india there carved representations of cobras or nagas or stones substitutes. these human food , flowers offered , lights burned before shrines. among indians, cobra accidentally killed burned human being; no 1 kill 1 intentionally. serpent-god s image carried in annual procession celibate priestess.

naga temple kukke subramanya swamy temple, karnataka

at 1 time there many prevalent different renditions of serpent cult located in india. in northern india, masculine version of serpent named nagaraja , known “king of serpents” worshipped. instead of “king of serpents,” actual live snakes worshipped in southern india (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 1). manasa-cult in bengal, india, however, dedicated anthropomorphic serpent goddess, manasa (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 1).

a roadside temple snakes, tamil nadu, india

nāgas form important part of hindu mythology. play prominent roles in various legends:

shiva depicted wearing snake around neck.

nag panchami important hindu festival associated snake worship takes place of fifth day of shravana (july-august). snake idols offered gifts of milk , incense worshipper gain knowledge, wealth, , fame.

different districts of bengal celebrate serpent in various ways. in districts of east mymensing, west sylhet, , north tippera, serpent-worship rituals similar, (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 5). on last day of bengali month shravana, of these districts celebrate serpent-worship each year (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 5). regardless of class , station, every family during time created clay model of serpent-deity – serpent-goddess 2 snakes spreading hoods on shoulders. people worshipped model @ homes , sacrificed goat or pigeon deity’s honor (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 5). before clay goddess submerged in water @ end of festival, clay snakes taken shoulders. people believed earth these snakes made cured illnesses, children’s diseases (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 6).

these districts worshipped object known karandi (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 6). resembling small house made of cork, karandi decorated images of snakes, snake goddess, , snake legends on walls , roof (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 6). blood of sacrificed animals sprinkled on karandi , submerged in river @ end of festival (bhattacharyya 1965, p. 6).