Hundreds of people queued in a remote village in eastern India over the
weekend to receive blessings from metres-long and potentially deadly
snakes, thought to bring them good luck.Snake charmers clapped
and beat colourful drums to lure their“prized catches”out of wicker
baskets and clay pots, as part of an annual festival in the village of
Purba Bishnupur in West Bengal state.“It is an art to make the
snakes come out of their boxes and baskets,”Hyder Mal, a 46-year-old
snake charmer taking part in the festival told AFP on Saturday.
An Indian snake charmer performs with a‘gokhra’–cobra–in his mouth for passers by.The
snakes, considered by the locals as incarnations of the Hindu snake
goddess Manasa, swayed to the rhythm and motion of their handlers as the
villagers drew closer.Every year, people from the area gather
in the green village some 85 kilometres (52 miles) from the state
capital Kolkata, to honour and pray to Manasa.
The goddess is believed to bring good luck ahead of the harvest season and also ward off troubles in this mainly agricultural belt.Mal, a father of six, appears at ease as he handles a long golden-brown cobra while urging the crowd gathered around to donate freely.“Business has gone down for us. People want to take blessings from the snakes but are stingy when it comes to paying up,”he complained.
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The goddess is believed to bring good luck ahead of the harvest season and also ward off troubles in this mainly agricultural belt.Mal, a father of six, appears at ease as he handles a long golden-brown cobra while urging the crowd gathered around to donate freely.“Business has gone down for us. People want to take blessings from the snakes but are stingy when it comes to paying up,”he complained.
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