Nagula Chavithi celebrated with religious fervour

Devotees thronged snake pits to celebrate Nagula Chavithi, offering milk and eggs as offerings to the Snake God. Urbanisation has caused a decline in snake pits, forcing some to travel to far off places. Fireworks and egg collection by vagabonds were seen at some places. The zoo recorded 9,150 devotees and ₹8,14,753 revenue on the day. Urbanisation has caused a decline in snake pits, impacting Nagula Chavithi celebrations.

Tradition and religious fervour marked the Nagula Chavithi celebrations in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Devotees in traditional attire thronged the few available snake pits to celebrate the occasion from early on in the day, they later visited nearby temples.

As a result of urbanisation, snake pits are dwindling. While the lucky families, which had snake pits near their colonies, walked down to them, carrying materials required for the puja, others had to travel to far off places like the zoo, Hanumanthawaka, Arilova and the outskirts of the city in search of snake pits.

At Yellammathota, located at Jagadamba junction, the heart of the city, women formed serpentine queues at the few snake pits available near the old temple of Goddess Yellamma. They poured milk and put eggs into the pits as offerings to the ‘Snake God’.

Meanwhile, as women were offering prayers at one corner, vagabonds were seen collecting the offered eggs by putting their hands into the pits, which would be washed and resold in the market. Children played with fireworks at some places. Nagulachavithi is celebrated four days after Deepavali.

The levelling of the AU Engineering College grounds during the Global Investors Summit, led to the disappearance of several snake pits, forcing the resident of Maddilapalem and nearby areas to go to Hanumanthawaka and Arilova.

The zoo recorded 9,150 devotees, raking in a revenue of ₹8,14,753 on a single day, according to a statement issued by Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP).