Nagas are serpent-like spirits who live in water. Serpent cults date back to the earliest Indus Valley civilizations around 2500 BCE. Stories about nagas frequently appear in Asian mythologies and religions. In Sanskrit, "nag" is the word for cobra and is sometimes used in a general way to mean snakes or serpents.

Nagas play multiple roles, most often as guardians of treasure and connected to rain. Their powers are often taken by other deities, witnessed by the cobra wrapped around the arm in the Shiva Nataraja, Chola style image. Sometimes they offer their help, as with Mucilanda, a Naga king, protecting the Buddha from a torrential storm. Naga sometimes symbolize the energy of kundalini.

In Hindu mythology, Naga kanda is considered either the queen or the name for a group of these serpentine spirits. She appears as half human and half serpent. Here five cobras rise behind from her back above her wings. In front, she holds a conch shell that is a treasure of wisdom. By legend, she was created at the same time as Garudas. They became enemies. In Tibetan Buddhism, garudas are placed one level higher than nagas.

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