So many types of Nagas

Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

Naga ascetics of Kumbh Mela are now world famous. These are the ascetics who arrive at the confluence of rivers wearing no clothes and bearing weapons. They are smeared with ash, and have matted hair. The word Naga originates from the term for the "naked ones." They belong to various gymnasiums or akhadas, and are linked to medieval warrior ascetic cults. It is said this military order of monks was established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. But in all probability they arose in the 14th century to challenge the rising might of militant Sufis known as Ghazis. Known as Gosains, Bairagis, Naths, Udasin, Yogis, they are followers of Vishnu, Shiva, Sri Chand (eldests son of Nanak), Kabir and Gorakhnath. As per Sanatani news channels, they fought and defended Gokul from the Afghan invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali in the 18th century. What is left unsaid is that they fought against Marathas too at Panipat, and even cremated the Marathas they killed.

The various mountain springs across Kashmir valley are also called Naga and have been worshipped by the local population since time immemorial. They are sometimes linked to snake gods. In Nepal, when people stopped worshipping the snake gods, the rains stopped and the rivers refused to flow.

Closely related to them is the third category of Naga kings who lived in the forests of Khandava. These Nagas were tribal communities who worshipped serpents. They are thought to have migrated from the north to the south of India and are still worshipped today in the south, in sacred groves and snake shrines. Rituals like Nagamandala are performed in their honour.

More popular are the Nagas in mythology, who live under the earth in Naglok at Bhogavati. They are bearers of magical gems known as Nagamani. Their king is Vasuki. A Naga princess called Ulupi, married Arjuna and has a child named Iravan. Various single-headed and multi-headed serpent images are found with all mainstream religions of India, Buddha sits under the hood of a cobra called Mucalinda. The naga Karkota coils around Shiva's neck while Vishnu reclines on coils of the multi-headed snake Adi Sesha. Snakes play an important role in folklore too, and are often associated with various village deities such as Goga Peer of Haryana and Ramdev Ji and Teja Ji of Rajasthan. They cure snake bites.

The fifth type of Nagas are residents of Nagaland, a state in north-east India. Contrary to popular belief, there is no single Naga tribe. There are 17 unique tribes including Sumi, Angami, Phom, Lotha. Here, the word Naga comes from the Burmese word Naka, meaning "those with pierced ears." It could also mean "the naked ones" in Assamese. They referred to tribes who lived atop mountains and descended to the valleys to trade for salt and tea. The Konyak tribe were headhunters until recently. This practice ensured territorial integrity without large scale war. Some believe that the headhunting practices of Northeast Indian tribes may have influenced the Tantric belief that a human being's power resides in the head. It is said that the Kapalikas and the Tantrikas collected human heads to arouse the serpent power within the body, known as Kundalini, to attain magical abilities.

These are speculations, but they leave one wondering about the mysterious Nagas, whose stories are told in almost every corner of India.

The author writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt.pattanaik@mid-day.com