During the holy month of Sawan, devotees across India celebrate Naga Panchami, a festival dedicated to Naga Devta (the serpent god). While many people offer milk and prayers, in Bihar, the festival is observed with a ritual that is both fascinating and spine-chilling: devotees of all ages carry live snakes as part of their worship. Even weeks after this year’s celebration on July 29, videos from the state continue to capture attention online.
The festival begins with families visiting temples and preparing for the rituals. In Bihar’s Samastipur district, the spotlight is on Singhia Ghat, where the annual Naga Panchami fair has been celebrated for over 300 years. Devotees gather early in the day to offer prayers at the Maa Bhagwati temple in Singhia Bazaar.
Following the prayers, they proceed to the Budhi Gandak river for the main rituals, carrying live snakes as part of their worship.
The Unusual Nag Panchami Procession
A viral video circulating online shows a scene that is unlike any other. People of all ages, from children to the elderly, are seen holding snakes. Some drape the reptiles around their necks, while many carry wooden sticks with snakes coiled around them.
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Viewers Call It ‘Animal Cruelty’
The practice has sparked debate on social media as many questioned the ethics of handling snakes this way and labelled it “animal cruelty.”
One user commented, “Like it or not, but that actually amounts to animal cruelty under Indian laws.”
Another said, “How is torture of snakes spiritual? Leave them alone safe in their natural surroundings.”
“This is abuse!!!!! Make no mistake there. There are other ways to show gratitude towards the ecosystem and the relevance of all sentient beings. But to encourage youth to March with clearly distraught snakes raised above their heads, is nothing short of insensitising those men with diversion tactics; misplaced priorities,” someone else wrote.
Devotion Across The Region
According to a report in NDTV, devotees from across the Mithila region, including Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Khagaria and Saharsa, take part in the fair. Participants chant the name of Mata Vishhari, the local snake goddess, while performing various rituals. Some devotees go further by catching snakes in their mouths before releasing them safely into nearby forests.
Apart from the public procession, women perform special prayers inside Gahvars (sacred groves or enclosures), NDTV reported. Here, they pray to Nag Devta for fertility, protection and the well-being of their families. Once their wishes are fulfilled, they return to offer Jhaap (offerings) and distribute prasad in gratitude.
Despite the size of the gathering and the number of snakes involved, local reports confirm that no snakebite incidents have been recorded during the fair.
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