Worshipping Sheshnaaga the serpent God

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.

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.

Sheshnaaga can be found in the Inspired by Nature gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.