Nag Panchami

Celebrated during the Bhadtapada Budi Panchami, according to the Hindu calendar, the Nag Panchami festivities light up glorious Jodhpur during the months of August-September.

Kalbeliya dancers gyrate in frenzied rhythm at open-air folk extravaganzas that mark the Nag Panchami celebrations in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

Snake charmers fast and pray to the nag or the king cobra on the auspicious occasion of Nag Panchami.

Bright and colorful, the Nag Panchami festival marks the tradition of devotion to the serpent king Cobra. Women from the snake charmer community come out in a big way to celebrate Nag Panchami.

The festival of snakes is celebrated in a big way in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva are adorned with flowers and lights. Effigies of the snake king Cobra are set up all over Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Bananas, milk, ghee and rice offerings are made to the serpent king cobra on Nag Panchami.

Hindu mythology has always given a lot of importance to serpents. In fact "Anantha" the sacred serpent forms a throne for Lord Vishnu to recline on. Hindus have always believed that the serpent king cobra is Lord Shiva's constant companion and thus the reverence. The people of Jodhpur associate Nag Panchami with the stories of Lord Krishna and the giant Kaliya serpent.

So come and be a part of this intriguing tradition that has been an inseparable part of Jodhpur customs since the ancient times.