Ahead of Nagara Panchami, stress on keeping fest nature -friendly

As Nagara Pan chami approaches, Mangaluru is witnessing a timely campaign to bring the festival closer to one of its oldest values - reverence for nature. While the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has appealed to citizens to observe a plastic-free Nagara Panchami, the Green Nagara Panchami initiative led by Swachha Mangaluru Pratishthana and Mangala Resource Management Private Limited is taking the message deeper, urging devotees and temple au thorities to protect the frag- ile ecosystems surrounding Nagabanas.

The campaign, inspired by the work of the Ramak rishna Mission, seeks to ensure that a festival as sociated with the worship of nature does not leave behind plastic, chemical substances and other waste that could damage the very environment devotees seek to respect. Speaking to NT, Sri Ranjan Bellarpady, Chief Coordina tor, Swachha Mangaluru Pratishthana, said Nagara Panchami is deeply rooted in India's ecological tradi tions. In coastal Karnataka, devotees traditionally visit Nagabanas and other sacred natural spaces to of fer prayers to the serpent deity. These Nagabanas are more than places of worship.

Over generations, they have also functioned as protected pockets of vegetation and biodiversity. The campaign therefore appeals to devotees to celebrate the festival without disturbing these sensitive spaces. One of the simplest appeals is to replace plastic with reusable alternatives. Devotees are encouraged to carry cloth bags and bring milk in reusable steel vessels instead of plastic containers. They have also been advised against carrying chemical powders, plastics and other materials that could potentially harm the Nagabanas. The campaign also turns its attention towards the management of festival waste.

Temple authorities and organisations responsible for Nagabanas have been urged to put in place proper systems for collection, segregation and scientific disposal of waste generated during the celebrations. Swachha Mangaluru Pratishthana and Mangala Resource Management have offered technical and operational support to temple authorities and local organisations in this effort. The appeal from the MCC adds an important civic dimension to the campaign. With religious places and Nagabanas expected to receive devotees during the festival, the civic body has urged citizens to avoid single-use plastic and cooperate in keeping the city and its surroundings clean.

The two messages converge on one fundamental idea: Nagara Panchami should celebrate nature, not burden it. For Mangaluru, this is particularly relevant. The city's relationship with its natural landscape is inseparable from its cultural identity. Nagabanas, sacred trees and traditional worship spaces have preserved a connection between faith and ecology for genera tions. Yet contemporary celebrations can introduce plastic covers, containers and other waste into these fragile surroundings. Once discarded, such waste can remain in the environment for long.