M??nasa, the Snake Goddess, is worshipped extensively in Bengal, Bihar, Assam and in parts of the south. On N??ga Pañchami, falling on the fifth day of the ascending node of the moon in the month of ??ravana every year, offerings of milk and parched grains are made to the N??gas. in Bengal and its adjoining regions, a special worship is performed on this occasion in honour of the snake goddess. The Serpant Goddess, or Visha-hari is worshipped primarily in the rainy season by all castes to get rid of snake bites and also for other purposes such as to cure chronic diseases and as a fertility Goddess. The rites and rituals pertaining to the worship of M??nasa have variations in different parts of Bengal but the basic elements are almost identical. In some regions, the worship of M??nasa is intertwined with ??aivaite rituals. The shrines to M??nasa found across eastern India are often temples made with mud walls and covered with straws commonly known as M??nasa-badi (house of M??nasa).
Mother Goddess of the Three Realms.
The Vietnamese tradition of worshipping Mother Goddesses has been recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and so this collaborative project — curated…