Naga Panchami & Garuda Panchami

There is a huge gigantic statue of Garuda in Alipiri, on the way to Tirumala with folded hands resembles - "I am here to move forward all your requisitions to Lord Venkateswara".

Namah pannaganaddhaaya vaikunta vasavardhineh 
Sruti-sindhu Sudhothpaada-mandaraaya Garutmathe

I bow to Lord Garuda, the One with the beautiful wings, whose limbs are adorned by the mighty serpents, who he has conquered in battle. I bow to the One who is forever in the devotion of Lord Vishnu. He is as adept as the Mandara Mountain, in churning the ocean of the Vedas, capturing the very essence of their wisdom.

Our Puranas mention that Adisesha approached Lord Vishnu reclining on the waters of the Milky Ocean and offered his services to the great Lord. He employed his body as a cot for him, and spread his hoods on his head as a shade.

According to legends, the story goes that Lord Vishnu as Varaha decided to continue to stay on this earth. Garuda brought down the hill of Vaikuntha to earth for the Lord’s residence. The word Vengada of Tamil origin signifies hill. So Venkatesa is The Lord of the Hill.

Naga Panchami or Garuda Panchami is one of the most significant festivals of the Hindus. It is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Garuda, an ardent devotee and the divine vehicle of Lord Vishnu. On Sravana suddha Panchami, Garuda Panchami is being performed. Naga Panchami is a very ancient festival and women observe the day as a ritualistic day by observing fast and praying for the prosperity and welfare of their children. It is a common sight to see the icons of Sesha Naag in a slab form under the tree ‘Asvattha’ in all the temples of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva worshipped by women. Devotees feed the snakes with milk, yoghurt and honey through the opening of the ant-hill and also worship it as well as circumambulate it. 

During the Brahmotsavams in Tirumala, Malayappa Swami and His Consorts are taken in procession on Sesha and Garuda. On the day of Naga Panchami, snakes or their idols or their pictures are honoured and worshipped as they preserve environmental balance and protection. According to mythology, ploughing fields are forbidden on the auspicious occasion in order to save the snakes and their progeny. On the auspicious day of Garuda Panchami Sri Garudalwar, who is also called with the name ‘Periya Thiruvadi’ is worshipped with devotion and piety. This worship is done by women for the betterment of their children for their bravery and boldness. The newly-married couples perform their worship for their bright and happy married life. Lord Vishnu has Adisesha as his couch and Garuda its arch enemy as his vehicle. 

It shows that Lord Vishnu is the Lord of Balance and Harmony which is an essential quality for one responsible for sustaining the multifarious universe. He is described as Vishnuratha, Amritaharana, Suvarna-kaaya, Gaganeswara, Rasaayana, Pakshiraaja Uragaasana and Saalmalistha. In the Rigveda, Lord Garuda is known as Tarkshya. In the X chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna enumerates His effulgent existence in the forms of various living and non-living beings in the creation at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. He says: Ayudhanamaham vajram, Dhenunamasmi kamadhenuk / Prajanascasmi kandarpah Sarpanamasmi vasukih// (The Gita:10-28.) (Of weapons I am the thunderbolt. Of cows, the wishfulfilling Kamadhenu. Of progenitors, I am Cupid and of serpents I am Vasuki.) He further says: Ananthascasmi naganam/Varuno yadasamaham/ Pitrnamaryama casmi casmi yamah/ Samyamatamaham// (10-29) (Of Nagas I am Anantha. Of Water-Gods, I am Varuna. Of the ancestors, I am Aryama and of those who punish and reward I am Yama). He remarks: Prahladascasmi daityanam, Kalahkalayatamaham 'Mrganam ca mrgendro’ ham vainateyasca pakshinam// (10-30) (Of demons’ progeny, I am Prahlada. Of calculators, I am time. Of animals, I am the lion and of birds, Garuda.)

Lord Vishnu reclining on Adisesha with closed lids is a common scene in many Hindu Temples. He is also called Lord Sesha-sayee, Lord Padmanaabha and Lord Ranganaatha. According to the Mahabharata, Lord Adisesha, who is Omnipresent and Eternal, holds the entire world on his head. He is also identified with the first born child of Kasyapa the son of Marichi by Kadruva the daughter of Daksha Prajapati. Kadruva gave birth to one thousand serpents of which Adisesha was the eldest. The other significant children are Vaasuki, Airaavata, Takshaka, Kaarkootaka, Kateeya, Kalmaasha, Nahusha, Kunjara, Kumuda and Kumudaaksha. The word Ananta means endless or infinite and it is one of the names of Lord Vishnu. In Kukke Subrahmanya Swami temple in Karnataka, Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped as Lord of all Serpents. As the legend goes when Vaasuki and other serpents were threatened by Lord Garuda they sought refuge under Lord Subhramanya. Before starting the worship on Naga Chathurthi day, it is customary to remember all the divine serpents celebrated in the Puranas and worship them with obeisance. 

Anantam Vaasukim Sesham Padma Kambalakau tathaa | Kaarkotakam Naagam Bhujasavatarau tathaa | Dhritaraashtram Sankhapaalam Kaaleeyam Taksahkam Tathaa | Pingalam cha Mahaanaagam sapatneekam prapoojayet || The two shadows of the ‘grahas’ namely Rahu and Ketu are often represented as snakes. They have huge influence on the mind. To achieve Moksha one has first to stabilize one’s mind properly. Naga Chathurthi Pooja is aimed at to reach this goal. It is on Sravana Sukla Panchami Garuda brought the pot of Nectar after great struggle to release his mother with great fight risking his life. This day is a day of celebration of affection between a mother and her child. It is the celebration of the bond between a mother and a child. Naga Chathurthi or Garuda Panchami is observed with reverence and piety by married women for the better health and future of their children. They pray to Lord Garuda to make their children as bold, strong and sharp as Garuda. This Worship is observed by newly-wed couples for their married bliss and prosperous life. If any Naga Dosham is found for any of the family member, it is believed that the Dosham will get vanished if the Garuda Panchami vratam is to be performed. Let the devotees be blessed by the Nagas and Garuda in their lives to attain spiritual bliss and salvation.

Garuda Vahanaseva to Sri Venkateswara Swami is more special among all the Vahanasevas performed during Tirumala Srivari Brahmotsavam. In every month on the Poornima day, Garuda Vahana Seva will be performed to Sri Malayappa Swami. Lord will come out in a procession in mada streets on this day to bless the devotees.