Nagara Chouti & Garuda Panchami
Nagara Chouti – Shravana Shukla Chaturthi
Garuda/Naga Panchami – Shravana Shukla panchami
On the Nagarachouti day, the pooja of Nagantargata Sankarshanaroopi paramathma will be done.
अनंतं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मकंबलकौ तथा ।
तथा कार्कोटकं नागं भुजंगश्वतरौ तथा ॥
धृतराष्ट्रं शंखपालं कालीयं तक्षकं तथा ।
पिंगलं च महानागं सपत्नीकान् प्रपूजयेत् ॥
पिंगलं च महानागं सपत्नीकान् प्रपूजयेत् ॥
ಅನಂತಂ ವಾಸುಕಿಂ ಶೇಷಂ ಪದ್ಮಕಂಬಲಕೌ ತಥಾ |
ತಥಾ ಕಾರ್ಕೋಟಕಂ ನಾಗಂ ಭುಜಂಗಶ್ವತರೌ ತಥಾ ||
ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಂ ಶಂಖಪಾಲಂ ಕಾಲೀಯಂ ತಕ್ಷಕಂ ತಥಾ |
ಪಿಂಗಲಂ ಚ ಮಹಾನಾಗಂ ಸಪತ್ನೀಕಾನ್ ಪ್ರಪೂಜಯೇತ್ ||
ಪಿಂಗಲಂ ಚ ಮಹಾನಾಗಂ ಸಪತ್ನೀಕಾನ್ ಪ್ರಪೂಜಯೇತ್ ||
anantam vaasukim shESham padmakambalakou tathaa |
tathaa kaarkOTakam naagam bhujangashvatarou tathaa ||
dhRutaraaShTram shanKapaalam kaalIyam takShakam tathaa |
pingalam cha mahaanaagam sapatnIkaan prapUjayEt ||
pingalam cha mahaanaagam sapatnIkaan prapUjayEt ||
Naga Chouti represents – Sheshadevara pooja
Garuda Panchami – Garuda Devara pooja
(They are in the Kakshya No 5. They both are in the same kakshya after Vayudevaru, Bharathi deviyaru)
Garuda is commonly referred to as Pakshiraja, Vainateya, Suparna, Garuthmantha, Periya Tiruvadi, Vinatasuta, Vishnuvahana, Nagantaka and Kashyapeya.
Garuda serves as the chariot of Srimannaaraayana.
Garuda Panchami celebrates mother and sons’ love, affection, devotion and bond between each other. The festival is dedicated to Garuda because of his devotion towards his mother Kadhru.
In some temple, Garuda is treated as Dwarapalaka of Srihari
Traditionally, the snake is said to be the enemy of Garuda, the golden eagle which is Lord Vishnu’s vehicle. But it must be remembered here that Lord Vishnu rests on Adi Sesha, the thousand-headed serpent. Some of the manifestations of Adi Sesha, who is always with the Lord, are Lakshmana, Balarama,
Once a farmer, while tilling his land accidentally killed a family of snakes. A member of that snake family, which had gone on a stroll returned home only to find its family dead. The snake was furious and in a fury it bit the farmer and his family members and killed all of them. The snake then wanted to kill the daughter of the family who was married and was living with her husband. The snake entered her house with the intention to bite her to death. As that day was Nagara Panchami, the snake saw her praying with great devotion to Nagaraja. The fuming snake while looking at her fell into the milk kept near the window sill and became calm and composed. The snake was pleased with her devotion and to her surprise talked to her in human voice… “I have killed all your family members back home and I came here to kill you. I fell into your milky devotion and came out pleased. Ask me what you want?” She asked Sheshadevaru to bring back her family to life. Nagaraja granted the boon and all her family members came back to life and they lived happily ever after.
Seshadevaru –
1. During Samudra Mathana Sheshadavaru (Vasuki) was used as the rope for Churning of Mandara Parvatha.
2. Sheshadevaru is the bed for Srimannaarayana
3. Sheshadevaru was born as Lakshmana when Srihari incarnated as Sriramachandra
4. Sheshadevaru was born as Balarama when Srihari incarnated as Krishna
5. Sheshadevaru is one among the children of Kashyaparu.
In the early morning the women and girls have an oil head bath and perform pooja to Havina Huttha or snake carved out of stone or to a silver snake at home or to the mud snake molded out of mud from huttha Pour milk over it. Some people draw a rangoli / pattern of five snakes in the shrine on Nagara Panchami. There is a tradition to paint snakes pictures on the outside walls of their houses. They offer raw Milk, Gejjevastra, Arishina / Turmeric powder, Kumkuma, flowers and soaked Bengal gram. In some families viz., Deshastaru families – there is a tradition that the women give Nagarachouti adikele to their brothers.
The women pray for the well being of their brothers and for the prosperity of their brothers. They fast on this day. In some families, there is a tradition that those who does the abhisheka (thani) eat food without salt. Some ladies have tradition to take only tiffin instead of meals on this day.
On this day Yellina chigali and akki tambittu prepared and offered as Naivedya / blessed food. The Yellu / Sesame Seeds and Akki / Rice used for these dishes will be used raw i.e, it will neither be roasted nor cooked. Fried items are not prepared on this day