CONTENTS: Preface, Acknowledgements, List of Figures, 1. Geographical Setting, 2. Socio-cultural Backdrop, 3. Geneses and Proliteration of Serpent Cults, 4. The Serpents of Aquatic Sphere, The Serpents of Terrestrial Sphere, 6. Serpent as the Lord of Weather, 7. The Serpents of Lower Kinnaur, 8. Serpent as a Terrific God, 9. Serpent as the Patron God, 10. Gugga as the Anthropomorphized Hero, Appendices: Appendix I. Directory of the Nag Temples in the Western Himalayan Region, Appendix II. Directory of the Mahasu Devata Temples in Himachal, Appendix III. Directory of Gugga Shrines in the Western Himalayan Region, Bibliography of the Cited Works, Index.