Devotees prepare for traditional Nag Panchami celebrations today

PUNE: For the past few days, Sus Road resident Kshitija Awate has been gearing up to observe Nag Panchami, when snakes are worshipped as per tradition. The family will first make a special offering to a snake replica before settling down for a feast of puranpoli.
Nag Panchami is a traditional ritual observed across the country by Hindu families during which images or replicas of snakes are worshipped on the fifth day of the Lunar month of Shravan.While it continues to be celebrated with much fervour in villages and rural areas, observance in cities have turned rather nature-friendly, with the prohition on capture and display of live snakes for the sake of worship. Thus, in most homes, women worship the clay idols, fibre images, or jivati (puja paper).
The rituals begin early in the morning with the women placing an offering of milk, flowers, durva and aghada leaves along with jowar puffs before the cobra’s image, besides dind, special dumplings of puran. Lamps are lit and a simple traditional puja follows. Offerings of milk and eatables are also kept before the image.
In some homes, families consume only boiled food where as, in rural areas, people also visit locations believed to be occupied by snakes to make their offerings.
The ceremonies conclude with an elder member of the family reciting a legend setting forth the origin of snake-worship in western India. Ploughing or digging is strictly prohibited in the region on Nag Panchami.
Elaborating on their own family rituals, Awate said, “In the city, like most other families, we just perform a simple puja. The dind is definitely prepared. For the rest of the family, I make it a point to prepare puranpoli on this day as it is everyone’s favourite. A lot of women apply henna on their hands too.”