The Probert Encyclopaedia of Hindu Mythology

NAGA

In Hindu mythology (and Jainism and Buddhism) the naga is a serpent-geni figure. As water gods, nagas inhabit the bottoms of rivers, lakes, and seas, in splendid, jewel-studded palaces ever alive with dancing and song. In temple architecture, nagas stand guard at the portals of shrines. In South India nagakals, stones decorated with a single serpent or an entwined serpent-pair, are set up as votive offerings by women desiring offspring.
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