Scorpions worshipped on ‘Nagula Panchami’

• They don’t sting only for the day
• Crawl all over devotees’ bodies

Mahabubnagar: The ‘Nagula Panchami’ festival in Kandukur village of Gudimitkal mandal on the border with Karnataka is marked by the people worshipping scorpions, instead of snakes, atop the Kondamma hillock. Men, women and children reach the hillock on the village outskirts and offer worship to Goddess Kondamma, offering bangles, ‘kumkum’ and coconuts during special pooja. After this ritual, the devotees start removing stones, under which lie scorpions in large numbers. They hold the poisonous creatures and allow them to crawl all over their bodies---without any traces of fear---a festival speciality. Another unique feature is that scorpions don’t sting. However, local residents say they bite the following day.