nagamandala-background

Nagamandala of Karnataka is a variant of serpent worship rituals prevalent among Hindus in all parts of India. This night-long elaborate ritual is performed in the regions of Southern Karnataka and involve ritualistic appeasement of the serpent. The serpent of Karnataka's Nagamandala celebration is usually considered to be the symbol of fertility and an embodiment of life-force. The celebration of Nagamandala at Karnataka employs music, dance, ritual chanting in Sanskrit and Kannad and possession of the head-priest.

Nagamandala in Karnataka is usually performed by male dancers called Vaidyas who specialize in this form of specialized worship. In the time of the ritual they dress themselves up as nagakannikas or female serpents and dance around an elaborate design painted on sacred ground which represent the serpent spirit and is the object of their worship. A Brahmin resides at the center of the activities and gets possessed somewhere in the middle of the ritual signifying the presence of the serpent spirit among the devotees. The design of the Nagamandala is in itself an artistic feat. It is an elaborate pattern drawn in natural colors. Traditional and symbolic patterns hold the serpent image at the very center.

The dances take place around this design, the Nagamandala. They continue all throughout the night. The movements are extravagant and includes athleticism and grace. The use of hour-glass shaped drums provide rhythmic accompaniment to the performance. The entire experience ends up to be quite exhilarating. The night-long celebrations are extremely expensive and can be arranged by the well-to-do and that too only occasionally. December to April is the usual time for the performance of the Nagamandala in Karnataka.