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Nag Panchami [Gogio] is yet another festival of scared
month Shrivan [Savan]. This is a festival which is not
limited to just Sindhi Community but is celebrated
through out the India by all Hindus so this is a Hindu
festival.
Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia,
Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal, Dhritarashtra and Pingal etc
are the some of names of Naga kings mentioned in Hindu
Puranas and in fact in the ancient time there was a
human clan called Naga living on the earth. Lord
Vishnu's couch, thousand headed "Sheshnag" also belongs
to Nags.
Nag Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of bright
fortnight in the month of Savan. Traditionally on this
day worship of snakes is performed.
Battis Shirala - a near by village to
Kolhapur city is world famous for Nag Panchami
celebration. Where almost one week ahead of festival
local people start collecting Cobra and poisonous
snakes, keep them in earthen pots [Matka or Handi] and
on the day of festival these pots are taken to temple of
Goddess Amba in procession. On the behalf of Gram
Panchayat award is given for the best snake. Thousand of
devotees all over from India, specially from
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh visit village
on this day.
This is amazing fact that though the poisonous fangs are
not removed but still on this day no body dies of bite
of these venomous cobras.
Some of the other Indian temples famous for Nag
Panchami celebration are
- Adiesha Temple in Andhra Pradesh
- Nagaraja Temple in Kerala
- Nagathamman Temple in Chennai and
- Hardevja Temple in Jaipur.
In the sindhi families celebrations of Gogio have quite
resemblance with Thadadi on this day, people eat food
cooked on the previous day. |