Nag Nathaiya Celebrated on the Sacred Tulsi Ghat, Varanasi

Nag Nathaiya is a significant and vibrant festival that enacts the divine lila of Lord Sri Krishna’s victory over the venomous serpent Kaliya. It is celebrated with great joy, devotion, and faith at the lively and spiritually charged Tulsi Ghat of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Bharat.

This festival is famously known as Nag Nathaiya Lila, is celebrated on the fourth day of Shukla Paksha in the holy month of Kartik (October-November). It typically falls annually four days after the festival of Diwali.

The tradition of Nag Nathaiya was initiated by the renowned saint Goswami Tulsidas around 400 years ago.

Kashi Naresh was present during the play and witnessed the event from his boat. At the end of the festival, an award is presented to the artist who portrays the role of Lord Sri Krishna.

Nag Nathaiya is celebrated as a tribute to Lord Sri Krishna for being a divine protector, an environmental savior, and a guardian of the people of Vraja Vasis. It honors His heroic act of defeating evil and purifying the waters of the river Yamuna.

Once, little Sri Krishna was playing on the banks of the Yamuna River with His friends, Gopalakas. During their play, the ball accidentally fell into the river.

To retrieve the ball, little Krishna jumped into the river Yamuna. Inside the river Yamuna, he confronted a mighty and poisonous snake, Kaliya. Arrogant Kaliya ensnared little Krishna in his coils.

Krishna fought fiercely with Kaliya and subdued his efforts. Finally, Kaliya bowed down before Lord Sri Krishna, accepting defeat. Lord Krishna then stood triumphantly on the hood of Kaliya and performed a celestial dance. This divine act is known as Kaliya Narthana or Kaliya Lila.

Tulsi Ghat is beautifully decorated before the festival begins. The Ganga water and Tulsi ghat are thoroughly cleaned and adorned with flowers and garlands.

Branch of the Kadamba tree is artificially planted on the riverbank to enact the play. It is also well decorated with flower garlands.

Also, the path for Little Krishna to climb the tree is kept clean and tidy. And the red carpet is laid out. The lila takes place in the evening, adding to the spiritual ambiance.

Let’s look into how the divine reenactment begins.

A young boy dressed up like Lord Sri Krishna walks through the beautifully decorated path. To enact this divine lila, branches of the Kadamba tree are placed on the banks of the river Ganga.

This young boy climbs the Kadamba tree and dives into the river Ganga. A replica of a five-hooded Kaliya effigy is made and seen floating on the river. During the play, the sacred river Ganga symbolically represents the river Yamuna. During the era of the Mahabharata, Lord Sri Krishna performed this lila on the banks of the river Yamuna at Kalidah Ghat in Vrindavana.

This boy climbs upon the serpent and plays the flute, reenacting the divine lila of Lord Sri Krishna. This performance symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and the purification of nature.

To view this unforgettable spiritual spectacular event, lakhs of devotees gather at this sacred site. Hence, this mela is also called Lakkha Mela due to the massive turnout.

The entire atmosphere resonates with the chants of “Bolo Banke Bihar Ji Ki Jai”, “Jai Sri Krishna”, “Har Har Mahadeva”. The rhythmic and vibrant beats of the drum also enhance the spiritual aura of the atmosphere.

Devotees from far and wide gather here to witness this unforgettable spiritual tableau. They watch this event sitting on a ghat, which can also be viewed using the boat ride.

Nag Nathaiya Festival is more than a cultural celebration – it is a divine act of bringing the timeless lila of Lord Sri Krishna into life. This festival beautifully blends devotion, tradition, and the protective spirit of the divine. It reminds us of the victory of good over evil. It continues to inspire us to the importance of protecting the environment, community, and water resources from evil forces.

Goswami Tulsidas started the Nag Nathaiya festival for the common people who could not read the Mahabharata or understand the divine lilas of Lord Sri Krishna. In those days, ordinary people could not read the sacred scriptures to understand the lilas of Lord Sri Krishna. To make the general public aware of the greatness of the Supreme Personality of Lord Sri Krishna, the act of reenacting the play of Lord Sri Krishna’s lila was started.