KATHMANDU: A religious fair is taking place today at Taudaha in Kirtipur Municipality on the occasion of the Nag Panchami festival.

Nag Panchami is the festival dedicated to Nag or the serpent deities. It is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the Nepali month of Shrawan as per the lunar calendar.

Devotees from the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas have thronged the place which is famous as the abode of the Karkotak Nag (one of the eight serpent deities).

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 (fresh 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.