Naag Panchami is the Hindu festival dedicated to snake worship — observed on the fifth day of Shravan month's bright fortnight. Snakes hold a uniquely sacred place in Hindu tradition: Lord Shiva wears Vasuki the cobra around his neck, Lord Vishnu rests on the divine serpent Shesha, and Krishna danced on the head of Kaliya. Naag Panchami is a day to honour these divine serpent beings, seek their protection, and acknowledge the deep relationship between the natural world and the sacred.
Quick Answer
Naag Panchami 2026 is on July 29. The puja involves making or purchasing a clay or silver snake idol, bathing it with milk and water, offering flowers and turmeric paste, lighting a diya, and praying for the family's protection. Fasting is observed by many women until after the puja.
Significance of Naag Panchami
The reverence for snakes in Indian culture is ancient and multi-layered. In agricultural societies, snakes protected grain stores from rodents — making them practical guardians of family food. In Hindu cosmology, the Naag (serpent) represents both death and regeneration (the snake that sheds its skin), the kundalini energy at the base of the spine, and the protective force of the divine masculine. Naag Panchami honours all these dimensions — the practical, the ecological, and the cosmic.
Naag Panchami Puja Vidhi
Wake early, take a bath, and clean the puja space
Draw or place a snake image — traditionally drawn with turmeric paste on the wall or door, or use a silver, clay, or stone snake idol
Bathe the snake idol with water, then milk, then water again
Apply turmeric paste and kumkum to the idol
Offer flowers — lotus, jasmine, and marigold are traditional
Light a diya and incense
Offer sweets — kheer or peda are common Naag Panchami prasad
Recite Naag Panchami prayers or mantras — 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' is commonly recited
Perform aarti and seek blessings for the family's protection from snakebite and harm
Regional Traditions
💡 Family tradition tip
Many Indian families have specific Naag Panchami traditions — a particular snake temple they visit each year, a specific prayer their grandmother recited, or a clay snake idol that has been in the family for generations. These specific family customs are worth documenting on OurParampara before they are forgotten.