Nagula Chavithi 2024: Date, Shubh Muhurat, Rituals, and Significance of the Naga Puja Festival
Nagula Chavithi is a deeply respected Hindu festival, particularly popular in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. Primarily observed by married women, this festival is devoted to the worship of the Serpent Gods, or Nag Devatas, with prayers for their children’s health and protection. Devotees believe that offerings made during this festival reach the Serpent Gods, bringing blessings of goodwill and prosperity to their families.
Nagula Chavithi 2024: Date and Timings In 2024, Nagula Chavithi will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 5, with auspicious timings as follows:
• Nagula Chavithi Puja Muhurat: 10:59 AM to 1:10 PM
• Duration: 2 hours and 11 minutes
• Chavithi Tithi Begins: 11:24 PM on November 4, 2024
• Chavithi Tithi Ends: 12:16 AM on November 6, 2024
Traditional Rituals of Nagula Chavithi
On the day of Nagula Chavithi, devotees begin with an early morning bath and wear fresh clothes. Married women often observe a day-long fast, praying for the health and safety of their children. They set up a puja area decorated with flowers, leaves, and traditional rangoli patterns.
The central ritual involves worshiping live snakes or representations of the Serpent Gods with offerings such as milk, fruits, flowers, and vermilion. The ceremony concludes with naivedya (food offerings) and tamboolam (betel leaves and nuts), along with lighting lamps, incense, and performing aarti. In some regions, women tie sacred threads around the snakes as part of their devotion. The fast ends at sunset, after which families gather for a shared meal.
Significance of Nagula Chavithi
Nagula Chavithi holds deep cultural importance as a day to honor the Serpent Gods, who are viewed as guardians of natural water sources and symbols of health, fertility, and prosperity. In Hindu culture, snakes are revered as protectors from misfortune, and devotees seek their blessings to ensure the well-being of their families, especially their children. Primarily observed in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the festival also aligns with agricultural cycles, with prayers for safeguarding crops, livestock, and family health.
This celebration underscores respect for nature and acknowledges the Serpent Gods as protectors and symbols of vitality and abundance.