Nag Panchami, the festival dedicated to the worship of snakes, is being celebrated across the country on Friday. This annual festival falls on the day of Shravan Shukla Panchami as per the lunar calendar.

Hindu devotees are celebrating the festival by worshipping Nag at Nag Pokhari in the Kathmandu Valley. The pond has been thronged by devotees since early morning. On this occasion, worship is also being performed at Taudaha in Kathmandu, Siddha Pokhari in Bhaktapur, and other ponds and shrines across the country.

On this occasion, snakes are worshipped and images of them are pasted on the doors of homes. This practice is believed to offer protection against lightning, fire, and poisonous creatures such as snakes and scorpions.

Here are some of the photos at Nagpokhari taken by the Post’s photojournalist Deepak KC