Guga Navami
Date : August 23, 2011
Venue : Rajasthan
Guga Navami is dedicated to Shri Guga (snake king), a Rajput warrior-prince of yore who was believed to have supernatural powers to control snakes. These powers associated with him raised him to the status of a deity.
The valiant Guga is usually depicted as riding a blue horse. He holds blue and yellow flags and has a snake coiled around his neck. His devotees are spread across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where an annual procession is taken out in his name.
The popular belief is that if prayers are made to Shri Guga on the day of his Navami, children will be protected against attacks by serpents and that they will have health and longevity. Childless women also pray to Guga for offspring on this day. This is because Shri Guga himself was born after a long period of waiting by his mother, who had also observed many hard penances. She finally conceived with the blessings of Baba Goraknath, who is supposed to have specially blessed Guga.
On the day of the festival, in Guga mari temples, the idol of Guga is decorated with flowers and special poojas are held in his honour. Processions are taken out and melas or fairs held in rural parts of North India. In many ways, it is similar to Nag Panchami or Nag Chaturthi, the festival dedicated to snakes. In fact, to some devotees, Shri Guga is a Serpent-God.
Venue : Rajasthan
Guga Navami is dedicated to Shri Guga (snake king), a Rajput warrior-prince of yore who was believed to have supernatural powers to control snakes. These powers associated with him raised him to the status of a deity.
The valiant Guga is usually depicted as riding a blue horse. He holds blue and yellow flags and has a snake coiled around his neck. His devotees are spread across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where an annual procession is taken out in his name.
The popular belief is that if prayers are made to Shri Guga on the day of his Navami, children will be protected against attacks by serpents and that they will have health and longevity. Childless women also pray to Guga for offspring on this day. This is because Shri Guga himself was born after a long period of waiting by his mother, who had also observed many hard penances. She finally conceived with the blessings of Baba Goraknath, who is supposed to have specially blessed Guga.
On the day of the festival, in Guga mari temples, the idol of Guga is decorated with flowers and special poojas are held in his honour. Processions are taken out and melas or fairs held in rural parts of North India. In many ways, it is similar to Nag Panchami or Nag Chaturthi, the festival dedicated to snakes. In fact, to some devotees, Shri Guga is a Serpent-God.
