In this article
A serpent carved beside a shrine can express guardianship, divine presence and a relationship with the living landscape. Nagas, the serpent beings of Hindu traditions, belong to a rich world of sacred imagery. Their forms and stories invite reverence without reducing every serpent image to the same meaning.
The word naga refers to a serpent or serpent being. In art, that presence may be shown as a snake, a hooded figure or a form combining human and serpent features. The setting and the named deity help explain what a particular image means.
Names matter
Ananta, also known in many devotional settings as Shesha, belongs especially to the sacred world of Vishnu. The Bhagavata Purana 5.25.1 identifies Ananta with Sankarshana within its own Vaishnava theology. That is a particular sacred identity, rather than a description applying to every Naga.
Recognizing such distinctions makes temple art easier to read. Ask whether a figure has a local name, whether another deity appears alongside it and whether a temple explains its story. These questions are more useful than assuming that a certain number of hoods always carries one fixed meaning.
A living example: Mannarasala
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple near Haripad in Kerala offers a specific example of serpent worship. Kerala Tourism describes a tradition centred on Nagaraja, with Sarpa Yakshi and Naga Yakshi as his consorts. Its account also identifies the priestess known as Mannarasala Amma and the importance of the surrounding serpent grove.
The temple’s legends connect its worship with compassion towards injured serpents and the presence of a serpent child in the ancestral household. These are cherished temple traditions. They should be understood as sacred narratives rather than treated as a documented account of biological events.
The Ayilyam festival brings images from the grove and temple into a procession towards the ancestral home, where special rites take place. This local setting shows why a general article cannot prescribe identical offerings or ceremonies for every Naga shrine.
How to approach worship respectfully
At a serpent shrine, follow the guidance of its attendants about offerings, movement and photography. A visitor may begin simply by observing an image and listening to its story. Learning a local name can turn an unfamiliar carving into a more meaningful encounter.
Devotees may pray for protection, wellbeing or children. Such prayers belong to religious life; they do not establish medical protection against snakebite or a treatment for infertility. A suspected snakebite needs urgent medical care, regardless of whether a ritual has been performed.
Reverence and care
Respect for serpent beings can encourage a considerate attitude towards actual snakes and their habitats. Leave wild snakes undisturbed and keep a safe distance. Worship can be directed towards an image without approaching or handling a living animal.
The wider lesson is attentiveness. Sacred landscapes contain trees, water, animals, images and inherited stories. Naga worship offers a way to think about belonging within that landscape, while each community preserves its own practices and explanations. Listening before generalizing honours that variety.