Nag Panchami 2026
नाग पंचमी
Nag Panchami falls on Monday, 17 August 2026 in New Delhi, on Shukla Panchami.
Nag Panchami, in the bright half of Shravana, is a day of worship for serpents, both as Naga deities and as real snakes. It comes in the monsoon, when snakes are often driven out of their holes.
Why this date
CalculatedIt falls on Shravana Shukla Panchami, the fifth lunar day of the bright fortnight, reckoned at sunrise. Lochtefeld notes that in jyotisha, the guardian deity of the fifth day is Shesha, the great serpent on whom Vishnu rests.
That’s 19 days later than 29 July 2025 last year. Why it jumped
- Panchami begins
- 16 Aug, 4:53 PM
- It ends
- 17 Aug, 5:01 PM
2026 date by city
| New Delhi | Mon, 17 Aug |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Kolkata | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Chennai | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Bengaluru | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Hyderabad | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Ahmedabad | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Pune | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Jaipur | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Lucknow | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Patna | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Varanasi | Mon, 17 Aug |
| London | Mon, 17 Aug |
| New York | Mon, 17 Aug |
| San Francisco | Sun, 16 Aug |
| Toronto | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Sydney | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Singapore | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Dubai | Mon, 17 Aug |
| Port Louis | Mon, 17 Aug |
Dates in bold differ from New Delhi’s. Calculated by rule; local practice can differ.
One festival, many stories
Pan-IndianThe monsoon and the snake
Lochtefeld describes this as a protective rite: snakes come out of their flooded holes just when people are in the fields, and the day asks for safety. It's a very plausible reason, and the custom in many villages of not digging the earth on this day fits it, but it's a reading of the ritual's function, not a text's statement.
Epic traditionAstika stops the snake sacrifice
The Mahabharata's opening book tells of King Janamejaya's great sacrifice to destroy all serpents, and how the young Astika brings it to a halt. Many people say this happened on this date. The story is in the epic, but we haven't confirmed that the epic gives this date.
Bengal and eastern IndiaManasa, goddess of snakes
In Bengal and nearby regions, snake worship runs through Manasa, the goddess of the Manasa Mangal poems, and her rites run through the rains. It's a different mythology from the Mahabharata's, with its own long Bengali literature.
BrajKrishna and Kaliya
Some people tie the day to Krishna's subduing of the serpent Kaliya, a story from the Bhagavata Purana (10.16). The story's in the text, but the link to this date is popular tradition.
Common questions
What people do
- Offering milk and flowers to images of snakes, or drawings on walls
- Visiting snake shrines and temples, such as Mannarasala in Kerala
- Avoiding digging or ploughing the earth on this day in some villages
- Preparing dishes specific to the region and day
Do snakes actually drink milk?
No. Snakes are reptiles and don't naturally drink milk, and wildlife workers warn that it can harm them. Snakes kept by charmers for this day are often kept without food or water, which can make them drink out of thirst, and many are mistreated. Offering milk to an image or a mound doesn't have this problem.
Why is Nag Panchami celebrated?
To honour and seek protection from snakes at the time of year when they're most often met. The specific story you're told depends on your region.
Is it legal to display live snakes on Nag Panchami?
In India, snakes are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and capturing them for display isn't allowed. Enforcement varies, and wildlife groups campaign around this date every year.
Ask your elders
“Ask your elders about the snake they actually remember: the one in the grain store, or the one in the courtyard after the rains. Did your village have a mound or tree that nobody dug near, and why?”
Sources
- James G. Lochtefeld, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (Rosen, 2002), entry “Nag Panchami”
- Mahabharata, Adi Parva (Astika section)
- Bhagavata Purana 10.16
- The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- Press reports of snake rescuers and forest officials on feeding milk to snakes, including Deccan Chronicle and Deccan Herald