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कहानियाँ Kahaniyan of South Asia
Sheshnaaga can be found on Level 5 in the Inspired by Nature gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.
Sheshnaaga or Sheshna (Sanskrit: शेषनाग) is a serpentine demi-god (naga) and Nagaraja (king of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism.
Figure of a seven-headed Sheshnaaga in cast and chased brass, South Asia, India (A.1909.571).
NKS discuss the symbolism and significance of the serpent god Sheshnaaga. ©@NeilHannaPhotography
The simplest way to describe Sheshna’s form in words is gargantuan and colossal. Sometimes he is depicted as a five-headed serpent, or a seven-headed serpent or a ten-headed serpent. However, he is more like one thousand-headed, or five-thousand-headed, or even a million-headed serpent, sometimes with each head wearing an ornate crown.
Sheshna has been worshiped throughout ages and time.
Today, in popular culture we find his form depicted in the Palliyodam, a type of snake boat that is used for the annual water processions in the state of Kerala.
Palliyodam or snake boat being used during a festival. ©Wikimedia Commons
