Nag Panchami 2025: How's The Hindu Festival Celebrated Across India, Nepal, and Other Indian States

This year, the Nag Panchami festival falls on July 29, 2025, according to the Drik Panchang. The celebration will once again connect tradition with culture in heartfelt, local ways. Take a look at how Nag Panchami is celebrated across different regions, each adding its own unique touch to this traditional festival.

Nag Panchami Celebrations In India, Nepal, And Other Indian States

1. North India And Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, especially in regions like Varanasi and Mathura, devotees throng temples like Kashi Vishwanath and snake shrines along the Ganges and offer dishes like kheer and pua.

Nag Panchami in Bihar is a vibrant festival celebrating snakes, particularly the snake goddess, Vishhari, and seeking their protection. In Bihar, devotees carry live snakes on their necks, arms, or sticks during village fairs as a sign of deep faith.

2. Western India: Maharashtra And Gujarat

Maharashtra celebrates Nag Panchami with elaborate rangoli snake motifs using red sandalwood paste, visiting renowned snake temples, and special dishes and prasad.

In Gujarat, it is observed during the Bhadrapada month. It is known as Nag Pancham and is observed late on August 13, 2025 (a few days before Krishna Janmashtami), according to the Drik Panchang.

3. South India: Karnataka And Tamil Nadu

In Karnataka, the festive spirit of Nag Panchami begins almost a week before the actual day. For five days leading up to the occasion, young girls create and worship clay idols of snakes. They offer milk, sweets, flowers, and small oil lamps as part of the tradition, and people wear a yellow thread dipped in turmeric.

In Tamil Nadu, Nag Panchami is also known as Addi Perukku. Natural ant hills, often found near temples or in quiet village corners, are worshipped as sacred. People treat these mounds with great reverence, decorating them with turmeric, flowers, and other offerings.

Children are told stories of Astika, the wise young sage who once intervened to stop a mass killing of serpents by King Janamejaya. This legend reminds everyone that Nag Panchami is not just about worship, but also about compassion and the importance of balance in nature.

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4. Nepal

In Nepal, Nag Panchami is deeply integrated into religious life. Nepal Tourism Board portal states, “Nepali people worship snake gods, also called the Nagas during Nag Panchami. In ancient times Nagas halted rain from pouring over Nepal. The king of that time also happened to be a Tantric and so he used his power to make Nagas let go of rain. The king succeeded in doing so, but he also honored the majestic power of Nagas by turning the day of victory into a festive occasion of Nag Panchami.”

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Significance And Importance of Nag Panchami Celebrations

Nag Panchami holds deep spiritual importance as a day to honour serpent deities, symbolising protection and harmony with nature. At its heart lies the Mahabharata legend, when Sage Astika saved the serpents during King Janamejaya’s Sarpa Satra, prompting compassion over destruction. This central myth is celebrated everywhere, but regional communities add their unique colours to it.

While every region prays to serpent gods for protection, prosperity, and relief from Kaal Sarp Dosh, local customs, or vegetarian offerings in West Bengal, reflect the diversity of devotional expressions across landscapes.

Have a peaceful Nag Panchami 2025.

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