Guga Navami 2022: Date, history, significance, rituals, shubh muhurat for the holy festival

August is packed with many Hindu festivals. After celebrating Raksha Bandhan and Krishna Janmashtami, it is time to celebrate another major festival that is celebrated with great pomp and show in parts of northern India. The holy festival that we are referring to is Guga Navami or Goga Navami.

The auspicious festival is celebrated by worshipping Lord Guga or the Snake God.

Date of Guga Navami 2022

As per Hindu scriptures, Guga Navami festival is celebrated on the ninth day of Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapad. The term Krishna Paksha implies dark fortnight of the moon and generally comes in August or September.

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Guga Navami 2022 is being celebrated today i.e. August 20, a day after Hindu devotees of Lord Krishna celebrated Janmashtami.

History, significance of Guga Navami 2022

As per common belief, Lord Guga was a beautiful Rajput prince who could control venomous snakes using his supernatural powers. Hindu devotees are said to know many different versions of the story, yet all versions are aligned at one point, which claims that Lord Guga was not like a regular human. He possessed divine powers.

It is popularly believed that he had the ability to cure a snake bite with his healing powers. Also, he disappeared from Earth in a divine manner when he thought that his purpose in this world was fulfilled.

Ways to celebrate Guga Navami

Gugaji was also called as ‘Jahar Veer Gogga’. He is known to be a folk deity by many families in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Those living in Rajasthan are known to celebrate the festival by organising huge fairs and pandals.

Rituals, puja vidhi for Guga Navami

The celebrations for Guga Navami start on Raksha Bandhan, which is on a Shravan Purnima and they continue for the next nine days. Devotees narrate the katha of Guga ji and begin the puja ceremony on the ninth day.

According to popular belief, rice and chapata are considered as the divine prasad. Many devotees tie a rakhi to the idol of Guga ji.

Lord Guga is seen sitting on a blue horse with a yellow flag in one hand and a blue flag in another hand. He is dressed like a king and has a royal turban on his head.

Puja muhurat and timings for Guga Navami 2022

The Guga Navami festival will start at 10:59 pm on August 19. It will end at 1:09 am on August 21. Hindu devotees can do puja and hold bhajan-kirtan during this auspicious time.