Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival that honors serpent deities, known as Nagas observed on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha in Shravan (July–August), is a festival that venerates serpent deities, especially in regions steeped in Naga traditions. Among the most spiritually rich celebrations is that at the Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple in Kerala, where rituals rooted in ancient serpent worship take center stage. The temple, unique for being managed by a priestess known as Valiya Amma, houses over 100,000 snake idols nestled within a sacred forest grove. On Nag Panchami, special rites are carried out in honor of Nagaraja, the serpent king. Devotees, particularly women offer turmeric milk, flowers, honey, and milk to the idols, seeking blessings for fertility, prosperity, and protection from Naga Dosha.
One of the most significant celebrations is the Mannarasala Ayilyam festival, held during the Malayalam months of Kanni and Thulam (September–October). During this event, all snake idols are taken in a grand Ezhunnallathu (procession) to the ancestral Illam (home) of the priestly family. Valiya Amma leads the procession, carrying the Nagaraja idol, followed by rituals including the offering of Nurum Palum (rice flour and milk), Kuruthi (red liquid), and cooked rice. Other prominent rituals include Sarpabali, conducted on Shivaratri night with ceremonial torches and sacred chants, and Sarpam Pattu, a rare and elaborate offering held once every 41 years, involving days of sacred music, dance, and trance-like devotion by virgin girls and priestesses. Mannarasala is unique among Indian temples because of its unique spiritual atmosphere, which is guided by the female lineage of the temple and combines mysticism, matrilineal history, and tantric rites.
These deeply symbolic ceremonies are held at the Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, located in the Alappuzha district of Kerala — a revered center for serpent worship and spiritual transformation.