The Nāga (IAST: nāga; Devanāgarī: नाग) or Nāgī (f. of nāga; IAST: nāgī; Devanāgarī: नागी)[1] is a divine or semi-divine race of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala) and can occasionally take human form. Rituals devoted to these supernatural beings have been taking place throughout south Asia for at least two thousand years.[2] They are principally depicted in three forms: wholly human with snakes on the heads and necks, common serpents, or as half-human half-snake beings in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[3]
A female naga is a "Nagi", "Nagin", or "Nagini".
Nāgarāja is seen as the king of nāgas and nāginis.[4] They are common and hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures. They are the children of the Rishi Kashyapa and Kadru.
