People have a ball with scorpions at this festival in Narayanpet

Narayanpet: While the women-folk across erstwhile Mahbubnagar celebrated Nagula Panchami by offering prayers to the Snake God, here is a village called Kandukuru in Narayanpet district bordering Karnataka, where the people, instead of offering prayers to the Snake God, are seen offering prayers to scorpions.

According to locals, every year during Sravana Masam, when women-folk go out searching for anthills and pour milk in the pits and offer prayers to the 'Naga Devata' seeking blessings, safety and long life for their husbands, here in Kandukuru, they visit the nearby Kondamavva hill and offer prayers to the idol of Scorpion God, situated on the top of the hill.

"Every year during the Sravana Masam, we celebrate Nagula Panchami in the form of 'Teella Panchami'. We offer prayers and catch the scorpions hidden under the rocky stones and offer it to the deity on the hilltop. The devotees both men and women catch scorpions with their bare hands and play with them and even wear the scorpions on their bodies and display it to others by placing on their face, eyes, and even on the tongue," says Hanmanthu, a resident of Narayanpet, who offered prayers at the hilltop to the Scorpion God.

It is said that during this season of Scorpion festival, the scorpions do not cause any harm to the devotees. "Children, elders and old age people search for the scorpions under the stones surrounding the area and catch them and play with them by displaying them adoring on their hands, face and tongue. People believe, the scorpions do not sting them during this festival season and they enthusiastically take part in the scorpion festival," says Anjaiah, another devotee.

Even if in case any scorpion bites the devotees, it will be cured by the temple priest, as he applies the turmeric and Kunkuma paste from the idol of the Scorpion God on the spot where the scorpion has bitten and it automatically cures causing no harm to the body. To witness this peculiar scorpion festival devotees and general public not just from erstwhile Mahbubnagar, but also from across Telangana, Andhra, Karnataka and Maharashtra come here to have a glimpse of this unique and peculiar scorpion festival.