Nag Nathaiya is a festival which the people of Varanasi celebrate in the Karthik Month as per the Hindu Calendar. It is the story of taking control upon the negativities and dancing over it and enjoying the life.
Varanasi is not only the city of temples but also of looking at life in a different aspect. It is the oldest city in the world as per the literary texts. With history, the beliefs and traditions have travelled through time and it is still the part of human lives.
This city has two aspects to look at for a tourist. One is known as is present as historical evidences, temples, ghats, and other. Another aspect of it is the mindset of a person living in Varanasi.
The way people of Varanasi enjoy their lives is very rare to see anywhere in the world. Not only the souls who leave their body attain salvation but also the one’s mind can find peace in here.
You may have heard that the people of Varanasi have carelessness in their nature. But that is not towards other people or their goals. No. It is towards the problems, the hurdles. They just don’t care about the problems and focus on enjoying the movement. And that is the fact that makes them so unique.
Here we will read about a tradition which is celebrated as a festival in Varanasi. And not only celebrated but that story is also enacted during this festival which makes it more enjoyable. We are talking about Nag Nathaiya. Nag means snake, and Nathaiya is a local word which means to tie up or to take control.
What is Nag Nathaiya
During the month of Karthik (usually between October – November); on the fourth day of the Karthik Shukla Paksha, “Nag Nathaiya” is celebrated in the holy city of Varanasi. The festival is celebrated at Tulsi Ghat which was originally started by Goswami Tulsi Das during the 16th century. The famous story of Krishna’s conquest over the evil serpent “Kaaliya Naag”; is mentioned in Mahabharata.
The Legend behind it
You all must have heard the famous episode in Lord Krishna’s life where he jumped into the river Yamuna and fought with the evil King Kobra ”Kaliya Naag” and purified the water. This episode from Lord’s life shows the victory of Good over evil.
What happens in Nag Natahiya
The same story is enacted by a young boy who is believed to be the embodiment of Lord Krishna himself. The boy climbs up a branch of the Kadam tree (which is planted there as a prop for the act) and jumps into the water where the effigy of the serpent is kept and then he climbs up the head of the effigy.
Upon climbing the head of the serpent effigy, the boy strikes the famous pose displaying Krishna playing his flute. Some assistants hold the boy and the effigy and make a circular round across the water.
The festival is known as the “Naag Nathaiya Leela” and is attended by hundreds of devotees including the Kashi Naresh (King of Kashi) who later awards the actors who participate in the enactment. More detailed information about this article can be found on Wikipedia.