Gogio Nagpanchmi

Nag Panchami [Gogio] is yet another festival of scared month Shiravan [Savan]. This is a festival which is not limited to just Sindhi Community but is celebrated throughout the India by all Hindus so this is a Hindu festival. A good considerable number of Sindhi families is there were eating pee cooked food like that of Thadadi is ritual & tradition. In the olden days on the previous day of Gogio Tikyoon & Lola are prepared and eaten on next day but now this system is changed as Sindhi people are cooking a verity of recipes on previous day of Gogio festival.
Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia, Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal, Dhritarashtra and Pingal etc are some of names of Naga’s kings mentioned in Hindu Puranas and in fact in the ancient time there was a human clan called Naga living on the earth. Lord Vishnu’s couch, thousand headed “Sheshnag” also belongs to Nags.
Nag Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of bright fortnight in the month of Savan. Traditionally on this day worship of snakes is performed.
Battis Shirala – a nearby village to Kolhapur city is world famous for Nag Panchami celebration. Where almost one week ahead of festival local people start collecting Cobra and poisonous snakes, keep them in earthen pots [Matka or Handi] and on the day of festival these pots are taken to temple of Goddess Amba in procession. On the behalf of Gram Panchayat award is given for the best snake.
Thousands of devotees all over from India, specially from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh visit village on this day.
This is amazing fact that though the poisonous fangs are not removed but still on this day no body dies of bite of these venomous cobras.