Rest of South India

To worship the king of snakes – Cobra, Nagapanchami or Nagula Cahvithi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh. The rituals of the festival are usually performed by the womenfolk of the place who adorn themselves with vibrant attires and ornaments and come to mandapams where the idol of a Cobra with seven heads is set.

The common belief doing the rounds in the villages of Andhra Pradesh for several decades is that Cobra is the revered God of all kinds of serpents available on earth. The festival of Nagapanchami is followed in order to worship King Cobra and to praise him so that he can protect the mankind from all kind of harmful reptiles.

Apart from visiting the mandapams, the people of the sate celebrate this festival by placing the idols of King Cobra outside their houses. Made up of cow dung, the idols are a medium of invitation through which the devotees request the Cobra to come to their houses. During the ceremony, bowls of milk are often found in different spots of the grounds and open fields which are the possible dwelling places of snakes.

Locally known as Nagula Cahvithi, the festival is followed in the rainy season of shravana. Since the numbers of casualties caused by snake bites are the highest during this time, so more and more people participate in the festival with the hope that King Cobra will protect them from other poisonous snakes.

Various folklores glorifying the magical power of King cobra are prevalent in the state of Andhra Pradesh. While some describes the gigantic form of the seven-headed Cobra, some others beautifully personifies the leader of all serpents who fulfills the wishes of his followers.

An age-old festival followed in both the remote areas and urban corners of Andhra Pradesh, Nagapanchami honors the outstanding energy and supremacy of Cobra.