KATHMANDU: Nag Panchami festival is being observed across the nation on Sunday. Nag Panchami is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the Nepali month of Shrawan as per the lunar calendar. On the occasion, pictures of snakes containing mantras are pasted above the entrance of the house with a belief that doing so will keep snakes away from home. People worship serpent god by offering dubo grass, milk, paste of rice grains and red vermilion powder. Hindu devotees throughout the nation are thronging temples of Nags since early morning. Nag Pokhari, Taudaha of Kathmandu, Nagdaha of Lalitpur and Siddhapokhari of Bhaktapur are some of the famous shrines for the devotees in the Kathmandu Valley. On this day digging the earth is taboo as it could kill or harm snakes which reside in the earth. There are many myths prevailing in the Nepali society regarding the Nag Panchami festival. According to the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna defeated Nag Kalia, an evil serpent on the day of Shrawan Panchami.