Naga Chaturthi

Naga Chaturthi Pooja

People who perform this puja with devotion do not fear snakes. This puja should be done with madi (purity). Men finish their Devara Pooja first, place only the Nagara on a small plate for the puja, close the Devara box, and put it away.

After anointing the Nagara with panchamrutha abhisheka, coconut water, and clean water, wipe it with a cloth and place the Nagara on a dry plate. Offer kanda-aksha to the god and give the yellow gaja-vastra-abharana. Do not use red khajavastra. Then perform Devara-Nirmalya Pushpa Archana, Dhupa, and Deepam. Shastra says Thalambhu is important.

Naivedyam

Prepare Sigli Naivedyam without roasting sesame seeds. Soak them raw, remove the top skin, and mix with jaggery. After boiling, offer jaggery sugar, milk, curd, and jaggery sugar. Do not offer honey. Perform karpura aarti and then mangal aarti with sesame dipa in water mixed with turmeric. Do not use saffron water for aarti. Then do pradakshina namaskar and pray.

Prayer Mantra (Pavishyottara Purana Chapter-32)

Vasuki:, Takshakas-Saiva, Kalio, Manibhadraka: (Bhadraka-h) Airavato, Druta-Rashtra: Garg Kotaka (taka) Dhananjayayu ! Ethe abhayam prayach sandhi praninam prana-jivinam ||

After this, perform puja to the Nagara near the Devara Pooja box. Then, go to a place where you can pour milk for a snake pit or a temple/mutt. Pour milk, do Naivedyam, Aarti, Pradakshina Namaskar, and come home. Draw Nagara on both doors of the house and do puja. Perform puja on the walls of the house gate as mentioned above.

Nagara Pooja on the Door-Wall

At home, puja can be done extensively, and outside, it can be done briefly. The Puranic verse states to draw Nagara on the wall in both directions for the door of the house and perform puja as follows:

Sravane Masi Panchayam Suklapakshe Narathipa I Dvarasya upayato lekya, komayena visholpana: || Pujayet vidhivat veera, (dadhi) dati-durvang (ku) kurai: kusai: kanda pushpa upa-harais sa, bramhana-nam sa tarpani: II

Chaturthi Day is Yellow and Panchami Day Red

For the standing gate, Nagara should be painted on the wall in both directions. On Chaturthi, draw a yellow Nagara on one side wall with yellow powder mixed with water and a small Nagara next to it and worship. Offer curd, arugum grass, and the tip of the tarpai with kanda-pushpam and worship. On Panchami Day, paint the other side wall with Javal.

Also, draw a Nagara and a small Nagara on the ground near the door and worship. Similarly, draw on the soil in the Devar Mana with a kolam and worship.

Food Rules on Chaturthi Day

Women do not eat food on Naga Chaturthi day. Follow family traditions for Balaharam and do Ratri Upavasam or Alpha Fasting. Some follow a no-salt tradition. Eat Aval, Rava Kesari, Arula with unsalted curd, Payasam, etc. Do not drink milk at night as it is offered to the naga that day.

It is special to donate Yata Sakthi Tambuladakshina, Sigli, and Thempittu to Brahmacharis.