Venom And Devotion: Live Snakes Star In Bihar`s Samastipur Nag Panchami Festival, Rituals Go Viral-OxBig News Network

In a stunning exhibition of religion and tradition, dozens of worshippers in Bihar’s Samastipur district commemorated the traditional Nag Panchami festival this week by boldly marching live snakes. The ritual, with its participants of all ages holding venomous and non-venomous snakes, is a colorful tribute to Mata Vishhari, the neighbourhood snake goddess.

The awe-struck procession started at the Maa Bhagwati temple in Singhia Bazaar and ended at the Budhi Gandak river banks. Viral videos available online showed unbelievable moments of devotees keeping snakes in their mouths as a final act of worship before releasing them into surrounding forests safely. Even with the intimate and close handling of the snakes, there were no reported injuries or cases of snakebite, a reflection of the community’s long-standing knowledge and handling methods.

Nag Panchami, which is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of Shraavana, the lunar month (the date falls on July 29, 2025, this year), is a Hindu celebration of snake worship. The festival in Samastipur is unique in terms of scale and direct participation of live snakes, and hence is a center of worldwide interest in the ancient traditions of serpent worship.

While other traditions, including those found in Battis Shirala, Maharashtra, have been legally curtailed, the Samastipur festival remains mostly uncurbed, sustaining a tradition handed down through the ages. Throughout cultures globally, ranging from China’s “Year of the Snake” to African fertility ceremonies and Japanese mythology, snakes represent wisdom, change, and protection.

The film’s dramatic scenes from Samastipur are a forceful reminder of the extent to which ancient traditions and customs persist in being part of contemporary life, generating continuing debate about tradition, the rights of animals, and the distinct cultural fabric of India.