|
Nagpanchami [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.
Nagpanchami 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 [Click
here to learn more about city] is world
famous for Nagpanchami 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.
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
Nagpanchami 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. |