Nagula Chavithi is a major serpent-worship festival of the Telugu people, observed on Karthika Shukla Chaturthi — the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Karthika month, which usually falls on the fourth day after Deepavali. It is distinct from Naga Panchami (observed in Shravana), and in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is often the more widely and intensely kept of the two snake festivals. The day is dedicated to the Naga Devata (serpent gods) and to Lord Subrahmanya (Kartikeya), who is closely associated with serpents.
Rituals: Milk at the Anthill
The central ritual of Nagula Chavithi is the offering of milk, eggs, turmeric, kumkum, and prasadam at a snake's anthill (putta) or at a Subrahmanya Swamy temple. Devotees — most often mothers observing the vrat on behalf of their children — pour milk into the anthill and light incense and lamps. Traditional offerings include chalimidi (a sweet made of rice flour and jaggery), fruits, and flowers. Many families fast through the day, breaking it only after the puja is complete.
Why Families Observe It
Nagula Chavithi is deeply tied to the wellbeing of children and the family line. Mothers pray to the Naga Devata for the health, protection, and prosperity of their children. The festival is also considered a powerful remedy for Sarpa Dosha and Kala Sarpa Dosha — afflictions in one's horoscope associated with the serpent planets Rahu and Ketu, which are believed to obstruct progeny, marriage, and prosperity. Worshipping the serpent on this day is held to soften these afflictions.
Nagula Chavithi vs Naga Panchami
Both festivals honour serpent deities, but they fall in different months and carry a different regional emphasis. Naga Panchami is observed on Shravana Shukla Panchami (July–August) and is widespread across all of India. Nagula Chavithi falls in Karthika (October–November), shortly after Deepavali, and is especially a Telugu observance. In some communities a related Nagula Chaviti is also kept in the Karthika Krishna Paksha, but the mainstream Andhra observance is on the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi.
How to Observe at Home
If you cannot visit an anthill or temple, you can perform a simple puja at home before an image or silver idol of the Naga Devata. Bathe early, keep a fast, offer milk, turmeric, kumkum, and chalimidi, light a lamp, and recite the Nagula Chavithi katha (story) or the Subrahmanya Ashtakam. Feeding milk to snakes in the wild is now discouraged for the animals' welfare — a symbolic offering at the temple or a bowl placed near the puja is the compassionate modern practice.