It is on the fifth day of the bright half of the Shravan that Naga Panchami, or the festival of snakes, is celebrated in India. Snake worship, no doubt, owes its origin to man's natural fear of these reptiles. However, in Hindu culture, they own a prominent place. Hindu mythologies are filled with stories and fables about snakes, the most important being the Sheshnaga of Lord Vishnu (it is on this snake that Lord Vishnu reclines while sleeping in the sea). Thus, it is quite understandable that a festival called Naga Panchami is observed in India, in the honor of snakes, every year.