🐍 Nag Panchami 2027
Shravana Shukla Panchami — milk and puffed rice for the Nag deities, a serpent drawn on the wall in cow dung/geru, no iron griddle on the stove today, no digging of the earth; a vrat for the protection of the brother's line and freedom from the fear of snakes.
Nag Panchami is celebrated on the Panchami of the Shukla Paksha of Shravana month — two days after Hariyali Teej, in the rains of Sawan when snakes come out of their holes. On this day the Nag deities (Shesha, Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Padma, Mahapadma, Shankha, Kulika — the eight Nagas) are worshipped — a serpent is drawn on the door/wall of the house in cow dung, geru or turmeric, and milk, lava (puffed rice), durva grass and flowers are offered.
Women keep the vrat for the protection of the brother and the family line, freedom from the fear of snakes and the pacification of Kaal Sarp dosha; today no roti is cooked on an iron griddle or kadhai, the earth is not dug, needles and scissors are not used (so that no serpent is hurt — folk rule). The festival of Battis Shirala in Maharashtra, Manasa Puja in Bengal-Bihar, Shravana Krishna Panchami in Gujarat (a different day — below). Below are this year's date, vidhi, samagri, katha, dishes and regional customs.
Significance — why this vrat
The Naga in Indian culture is the guardian of water, land and farming, the garland on Shiva's neck, the bed of Vishnu, the sacred thread of Ganesha — feared yet worshipped; snakes come out of the ground in Sawan, hence the spirit of 'let there be no enmity' through the milk offering — in practice do not kill a snake, keep a respectful distance; feeding milk is not in the animal's interest — offer it symbolically to a clay/drawn serpent.
Skanda/Garuda Purana: Naga worship on Panchami frees seven generations from the fear of snakes; the day for pacifying the Kaal Sarp dosha and Rahu-Ketu of the birth chart — offering a pair of silver/copper serpents at a Shiva temple, Rudrabhishek; the Naga mantras 'Om Namah Shivaya' and 'Sarve nagah priyantam me…'.
In some parts of Gujarat-Rajasthan Nag Panchami falls on Shravana Krishna Panchami (by the Purnimanta reckoning — before the Amanta Shravana), in the rest of India on Shukla Panchami; Karnataka-Maharashtra-the south also on Shukla Panchami; in Bengal Manasa Devi (the serpent mother) is worshipped through Shravana, especially on the Sankranti.
Puja vidhi (step by step)
This is the household vidhi — the serpent drawing on the wall, milk and puffed rice, the Naga katha, the ban on iron.
- Bathe in the morning; draw a serpent (the eight Nagas/five hoods) in cow dung-geru or turmeric-sandalwood on the kitchen/door wall; or a clay/silver serpent; many homes at the serpent idol of a Shiva temple.
- The vrat sankalp (women) — 'for the protection of the brother and family line, freedom from the fear of snakes'; a one-meal fast (fruit/without salt), the meal in the evening (no griddle roti — steamed/boiled — below).
- Puja: to the serpent drawing offer milk, lava (puffed paddy), durva, raw milk-water, turmeric-kumkum, flowers (kaner-jasmine), soaked chana/moong, wheat-barley; lamp and incense; the Naga stuti 'Sarve nagah priyantam me ye kechit prithivitale' and 'Om Namah Shivaya' 108 times; the katha (below).
- Shiva puja: water, milk and bel leaves on the Shivalinga; those with Kaal Sarp dosha offer a pair of silver/copper serpents on the Shivalinga, 'Om Nagendraharaya Namah'; Rudrabhishek (if possible).
- The brother's protection: the sister applies a milk-turmeric mark on the brother's back/ear (some regions), gives the brother lava and sweets; the prasad of the Naga puja to the family deity.
- Folk rules: no digging the earth today, no ploughing, no cooking on an iron griddle or kadhai, no needle-scissors-knife (if possible), no killing or troubling a snake; if a snake is seen call a snake-catcher/forest department — do not feed it milk (for the animal's sake).
- Evening: the meal — dal-baati/kheer-poori (kadhai-fried poori is allowed, not the griddle — home custom), soaked chana-jaggery; a lamp before the Naga; a night vigil in some places, swing songs (Sawan) in others.
- The next day: do not wipe off the serpent drawing on the wall — let it stay until Bhadrapada (many homes) or wash it on Shravana Purnima into water.
Puja samagri checklist
The cow dung-geru/turmeric serpent, milk-puffed rice-durva, a pair of silver serpents — the Nag Panchami list.
- For the serpent drawing: cow dung, geru, turmeric, sandalwood; or a clay/silver/copper serpent (a pair for Kaal Sarp)
- Raw milk, water, lava (puffed rice), durva, soaked chana-moong, wheat-barley, jaggery
- Turmeric, kumkum, roli, akshat, mauli, flowers (kaner-jasmine-lotus), bel leaves
- Lamp, ghee, incense, camphor, naivedya (kheer-poori-malpua-laddoo)
- Shivalinga abhishek: water-milk-bel leaves-bhasma; Rudrabhishek materials (if possible)
- Naga stotra/katha book; Manasa puja (Bengal): pot, sindoor, Manasa chali
- Meal: dal-baati/kheer/boiled and steamed dishes (no griddle)
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Open panchang →Vrat katha (the story)
The farmer's tale: a farmer killed a she-serpent's young while ploughing; in revenge the serpent bit the farmer's family, only the daughter survived, who worshipped the Nagas daily. On Panchami the daughter pleased the serpent with milk and puffed rice, the serpent revived the family and vowed — 'whoever worships me on Panchami, their line will have no fear of snakes'. Hence ploughing and digging are forbidden and milk-puffed rice is dear.
Kaliya mardan: in Shravana Krishna subdued the venomous serpent Kaliya in the Yamuna and danced on his hoods; he forgave Kaliya and sent him to Ramanaka island — the Bhagavata links this to Shravana Panchami; the deliverance of the Nagas and the end of fear. The Astika tale: in Janamejaya's serpent sacrifice the Naga race began to burn, sage Astika had the sacrifice stopped on Panchami — the Nagas said 'whoever hears the name of Astika and the Nag Panchami katha, we will not bite'.
Vasuki became the churning rope at the churning of the ocean, Vishnu rests on Shesha, Parikshit died of Takshaka, the feud of Kadru, Vinata and Garuda — countless Naga tales in the Puranas; Nag Panchami is the day to please them all, 'Sarve nagah priyantam me…'.
Puffed rice and milk, soaked chana, dal-baati, kheer — a meal without the griddle
Cooking on an iron griddle or kadhai is forbidden on Nag Panchami — hence boiled, steamed or kadhai-fried dishes: dal-baati-churma (Rajasthan-MP), kheer-poori, soaked chana-moong, puffed rice-jaggery; puran poli/dinde in Maharashtra, tambittu in Karnataka, the Manasa bhog (khichdi) in Bengal.
- Lava (puffed rice) + milk + jaggery — the Naga prasad; soaked chana-moong, sprouted grains, wheat-barley
- Dal-baati-churma (baati in the tandoor/on dung cakes — not the griddle), kheer-poori, malpua (kadhai)
- Maharashtra: dinde/ukdiche modak (steamed), puran poli (many homes avoid the griddle — made the day before), varan-bhaat; Karnataka: tambittu (a laddoo of jaggery and roasted gram), kadubu (steamed)
- Bengal (Manasa puja): khichdi-labra, milk-rice; Bihar-Jharkhand: kheer-poori, lai; Gujarat: kuler (millet-jaggery laddoos — Shravana Krishna Panchami)
- Fasting fare: fruit-milk-makhana; without salt/rock salt (the women's vrat)
Regional customs
The live-serpent festival of Shirala, the Manasa of Bengal, the kuler of Gujarat, milk on the brother's back in Karnataka — the customs of Nag Panchami.
A custom, tale, song or dish heard from your grandmother — 2-4 lines; after reading we add it on this page with your region's name (the phone is never shown — only to ask you back).
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✅ Do
- Milk and puffed rice for the serpent drawing/clay or silver serpent — no milk for a live snake (for the animal's sake)
- Those with Kaal Sarp dosha offer a pair of serpents at a Shiva temple, Rudrabhishek
- The women's vrat — one meal, nothing on the iron griddle; the wish for the protection of the brother's line
- Hear the katha (the farmer/Astika), 'Sarve nagah priyantam me…'; Shiva puja alongside
- If a snake is seen call the forest department/snake-catcher — do not kill; protect trees and anthills
❌ Don't
- No digging the earth, ploughing, breaking anthills; no needle-scissors-knife (if possible)
- No roti/cooking on an iron griddle or kadhai; no iron vessels (folk rule)
- No paying a snake charmer to make a snake drink milk — snakes die, it is illegal
- No killing, catching or frightening snakes; no salt in the vrat (strict form) — the pregnant eat normally
- No wiping off the serpent drawing the next day (many homes keep it until Shravana Purnima)
Frequently asked questions
When is Nag Panchami in 2027?
This year's Shravana Shukla Panchami date and puja time (Delhi) are above — morning/Abhijit is best. In some parts of Gujarat-Rajasthan it is on Shravana Krishna Panchami (about 15 days before the date above, before Hariyali Teej) — check the panchang there.
Is it right to give milk to a snake?
No — snakes cannot digest milk, snake charmers' snakes die from it, and it is illegal under the Wildlife Act. The scriptural milk offering to the 'Naga deity' — do it on a clay/drawn/silver serpent or the serpent on a Shivalinga; respect a live snake from a distance.
Why no roti on the griddle?
Folk belief — the iron griddle symbolises the serpent's hood, iron on fire = suffering for the serpent; hence steamed, boiled or kadhai dishes (dal-baati, poori, dinde, kheer); many homes even avoid poori-paratha on the griddle, some avoid only roti — your household custom.
How to pacify Kaal Sarp dosha on Nag Panchami?
Nag Panchami is the best day for pacifying Kaal Sarp/Rahu-Ketu — offer a pair of silver/copper serpents on the Shivalinga at a Shiva temple, Rudrabhishek, 'Om Namah Shivaya'/Mahamrityunjaya japa, the Naga stotra; special puja at Trimbakeshwar-Ujjain; first check whether the dosha exists in the chart (dosha report/priest).
Why milk on the brother's back (Karnataka)?
In Karnataka's 'Nagara Panchami' the sister pours milk and turmeric on the brother's back/navel — the Naga's protection for the brother and the wish for his children; the brother gives the sister a gift — a brother-sister festival before Raksha Bandhan.
What is Gugga Navami?
The worship of the serpent deity Gugga Pir (Gogaji) in Haryana-Punjab-Rajasthan — beginning on Nag Panchami, the main day on Bhadrapada Krishna Navami (Gugga Navami); the fair of Gogamedi (Rajasthan); sevaiyan-churma, worship of the 'chhadi' (staff); believed to protect from snakebite.
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⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; the custom of your family and region comes first. Feeding milk to or catching live snakes is forbidden both for the animal's sake and by law — worship symbolically.
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