On the occasion of Nag Panchami on Monday, devotees visited temples to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva and the Nag Vasuki- the god of snakes. This year, the Nag Panchami was also special because it coincided with a Sharavan somwar. A lot of people offer milk and perform traditional rituals on this day for the snake god in order to get rid of their sins and Kaal Sarpa Dosh. Amid all this, people from Telangana and Karnataka celebrated this day by playing with scorpions. They call this ritual Tella Panchami.
The unique tradition of Tella Panchami is done to worship the scorpion idols. This festival is conducted in Kandukur village in Karnataka state. The village is located on the borders of the Narayanpet district which is 25 km away from the district headquarters. Tella Panchami is celebrated every year on the day of Nag Panchami.
While celebrating, many people offer milk to the scorpions and pray to the scorpion gods. On this day, people follow the custom of looking for scorpions hidden under stones while climbing the Kondamadugu Hill to get a glimpse of the idols of the scorpion god. Later, they conduct grand pujas to the idols and ask the scorpion god for his blessings.
To participate and be a part of this tradition, several devotees from different states come to offer their prayers to the scorpion god. Local devotees celebrate this day by searching for scorpions, under rocks, inside the bushes and trees. They then put the scorpions on their face, tongue and hands and perform the act.
Karnataka Police make elaborate arrangements and follow strict security measures to avoid any mishappenings on this day. Earlier, due to COVID-19, the visitors were not allowed on the hill and the tradition resumed last year. Thousands of people flocked to the Kandukur village to offer their prayers to the scorpion gods and watch the acts of local devotees this year.
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