Mangaluru: The first festival of the Hindu community is Nag Panchami, which is always celebrated on the fifth day of the first half of the Shravan month.
In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts Nag Panchami has a special significance, because the district hosts the world’s first exclusive Nagasthala in Subramanya temple in Kukke about 120 kilometers from Mangaluru.
On August 19, people thronged the temples at Kudupu and offered Pujas and prayed for the welfare of the society and world. It is not just for their own families but for all living beings.
In every community wherever there is Naga stone (kallu) people get together and pray as a community which enhances the power of the community to maintain unity. In our district most of the temples have Naga Kallu and it is a sight to see people bringing offerings like tender coconuts, puffed rice, jaggery, palm flowers, incense sticks and most importantly – cow’s milk. These offerings help the sub terrain to cool down and help the Naga Sankula to protect the world.
At Kudupu Anantha Padmanabha temple the queue for darshan had gone circles around the temple and devotees offered tender coconuts and milk on the occasion.
Speaking to mangalorean.com one of the religious priest of the temple said, “Every year more than 15000 tender coconuts are offered by the devotees. The offered tender coconuts will be broke and the water will be stored in a huge pot. The stored water passing through a pipe is offered to the Naga Kallu.
He also said that the offering of the milk began at 5:15 am. This festival is celebrated throughout India to honour snakes. Every year we celebrate Nag Panchami and it is one of the most ancient festival of our country.