Nag Panchami is observed every year to honour Nag Devta, or serpent deities, in Hindu tradition. The festival falls during the Shukla Paksha Panchami of the Shravan month and holds religious and astrological significance for many devotees.
This year, Nag Panchami will be observed on Monday, August 17. The festival has specific tithi and puja timings, which may vary by location. Here is everything you need to know about Nag Panchami 2026, including its date, tithi, puja muhurat, rituals and astrological significance.
According to Drik Panchang, Nag Panchami will be observed on August 17, 2026. It falls on Shukla Paksha Panchami during the Hindu month of Shravan.
Panchami Tithi begins: August 16 at 4:52 PM
Panchami Tithi ends: August 17 at 5:00 PM
Puja Muhurat: The exact time depends on your location
However, Drik Panchang lists 5:22 AM to 7:58 AM as the Nag Panchami Puja Muhurat for Sheohar, Bihar. The timing can differ in other cities because Panchang calculations depend on the local sunrise and location.
If you live outside India, including in the US, you should check the Panchang for your own city before following a specific puja time.
Nag Panchami carries a strong connection with serpent symbolism in Hindu traditions. Devotees worship Nag Devta during the festival and seek blessings for protection, family well-being, and spiritual strength.
The serpent also has an important place in Vedic astrology. Astrological traditions associate serpent imagery with the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu, though different schools interpret this connection in various ways.
Some astrologers also associate Nag worship with Kaal Sarp Dosha, a concept in Vedic astrology that occurs when the seven classical planets fall between Rahu and Ketu in a birth chart. Some practitioners consider Nag Panchami an important day for prayers or traditional remedies related to such planetary concerns.
Devotees traditionally worship different Naga deities on this day. Drik Panchang lists several serpent deities associated with Nag Panchami, including Ananta, Vasuki, Shesha, Padma, Kambala, Karkotaka, Ashvatara, Dhritarashtra, Shankhapala, Kaliya, Takshaka and Pingala.
For many devotees, Nag Panchami brings together religious tradition, mythology and astrology. The festival gives people an opportunity to honour Naga deities and reflect on their connection with nature and spiritual traditions.
For devotees observing Nag Panchami on August 17, the most important point remains the local Panchang. Tithi and puja timings can vary by location, so you should check the timings for your city before beginning the rituals.
Soumi Pyne is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with four years of work experience. She started her career as a digital journalist with HT after completing her master's in media and communication from NSHM Kolkata. She covers topics in astrology, manifesting, and tarot readings, and also interviews astrologers to share their stories. In 2022, she interviewed the young indigo pilot who had saved Indian students from Ukraine. She has also covered stories about the Dhoomimal Art Gallery and a few lifestyle stories. She is now a fervent reader of astrology, but before working full-time on the Astrology beat, she coordinated and published think tank stories in the HT insight section. Additionally, produced Live Mint and HT newsletters, during which she had the scope to publish news articles by HT's editor-in-chief, Sukumar Ranganathan. She puts in her best effort to make her readers justify the statement "Astrology is a pseudoscience". While she believes that Astrology is not intertwined with Science, she aims to help her readers understand that the human body can be influenced by planetary alignments, drawing on insights from Indian and USA astrologers. Outside her professional sphere, she enjoys a healthy lifestyle through yoga, journaling, meditation, running, and cooking gluten-free meals. She is an avid documentary enthusiast who loves watching BBC, Discovery, and other channels, with a focus on ancient history, space, art, and culture. Also, you'll often find her taking her pooch to new cafes and often taking short trips with her girls or her family to offbeat places.Read More
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