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Nepal JyotishTraditional Science
Festivals

Nag Panchami

The story of how Nag Panchami came to be celebrated to appease the Naga king after the blade of a plough killed the serpent's young.

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Nag Panchami

While ploughing his field, a farmer's ploughshare struck and killed the small baby serpents that lived beneath the ground. Seeing the lifeless bodies of her young, the female Naga was overcome with fury, and to take revenge she went at night to the farmer's house and bit to death every member of the family as they lay sleeping.

But when the nagini moved to bite the farmer's daughter, that gentle-hearted girl folded her hands, placed a bowl of fresh cow's milk before her, and prayed to the nagini.

Moved by the girl's guileless devotion and by the honour shown her with milk, the nagini's anger cooled. Pleased, the nagini restored the farmer's entire dead family to life and gave them her blessing: "On the day of the Shrawan Shukla Panchami, whoever pastes a picture of a Naga on the door of their house and worships it with cow's milk, durva grass and laabha will never know the fear of snakes, lightning or fire."

From that very day, Shrawan Shukla Panchami began to be celebrated with great fanfare as 'Nag Panchami'.

Note: These are traditional Nepali folk tales (kimbadanti), passed down orally through generations. They may or may not reflect actual historical events, but they are told and believed as part of Nepal's cultural heritage.

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Bisket JatraThe story of Bisket Jatra, in which the people of Bhaktapur, freed from the practice of keeping night watch, raise the lingo.Ghantakarna (Gathamuga)The story of how the atheistic aghori Ghantakarna became a demon and was killed, and the Gathamuga festival came to be celebrated.Nepal SambatThe story of how the astrologer Siddhivanta found an auspicious moment and Nepal Sambat was begun.Bala Chaturdashi (Balachahre)The story of Bala Chaturdashi, how the guthiyar Balananda ate a gidhi and became the man-eating demon Balasur.Dhanya Purnima (Yomari Punhi)The story of Yomari Punhi, how grain and wealth increased after the wife of the rich Suchandra fed Kubera.Bhoto JatraThe story of Bhoto Jatra, how the Naga king Karkotak had the Nagini's eye treated by a Jyapu.