Long ago the King Shankachooda was ruling Nagaloka. He had five daughters Devarathi, Nagarathi, Charurathi, Mandarathi and Neelarathi.

Once they went to Kailasa with an aspiration of marrying the Lord Subramanya Swamy, son of the Lord Shiva. These Five princesses were stopped by Nandi (Lord Shiva’s Devotee) on their way and cursed to become snakes. Instantaneously they were transformed into snakes and fell down to earth. When Vyaghrapada Maharishi who was wandering in the sahyadri Ghats saw these five snakes caught in the forest conflagration, and knew everything about them by his divine insight. He said to the five princes (now Snakes) that their cursed would be removed by a royal person in due course of time.