02/03/2025
I am very sure Shiva will not be happy to see the way his snake is treated by humams.
It is believed that in order to save the universe from being destroyed, Shiva drank poison and kept it in his throat, which turned blue. A few drops that fell into the ocean were drunk by snakes. Together, they prevented the universe from collapsing. This gave birth to the holy reverence of snakes, and as such snake charmers, too, were respected as men of gods.
Today, snake charmers are seen as little more than nuisances and lead a nomadic existence to avoid contact with lawmakers.
This has largely been due to two reasons, firstly, the growing awareness about snakes; and secondly, the inclusion of all Indian snake species into the Schedules of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 that makes capturing of snakes a criminal offence.
With no other choice of profession due to the stigma attached to their caste, saperas risk prosecution and venture out in large numbers during shravan to act as instruments for people to practice their superstitious beliefs.
To a layman, with little or no knowledge about snakes, the act of snake charming is simply about the ‘skillful’ control that a sapera has over its snake.
The snake charmers too dramatize the act for commercial gains, often at the cost of the well-being of the animal in their care. When a snake charmer opens the basket, the snake instantly emerges. Once the snake erects its body, the snake charmers begin to play the flute which the snake seemingly follows. People also marvel at the fact that the snakes do not bite in retaliation. This act can easily be debunked by understanding the naturalistic behaviour of snakes.
A snake simply erects itself when the hood of the basket is removed due to the sudden exposure to light. Similarly, a snake does not follow the tune of the music but the direction of the snake charmer’s hand. Furthermore, as snakes only have vestiges of an inner ear, they are able to pick only a few low-frequency airborne sounds.
Most snake charmers sit beyond the biting range of the snake. Moreover, snakes are timid beings and are reluctant to attack.
Venomous snakes such as cobras avoid biting in retaliation as reproducing venom is an energy-intensive process. As people grossly misunderstand and have a negative portrayal of snakes, such perceived domination is prized by them and treated as a special gift.
Snake charmers desperate to maximise their profits often resort to abusive measures to establish full dominance over their snakes, to appease the devotees.
Snakes are often starved for months on end, and in certain cases, they are never fed since the time of their capture. Some snake charmers even cruelly stitch shut the mouth of the snakes, completely preventing them from eating.
All this is done to feed to the myth that if a snake drinks the milk that one offers, good luck will befall them for the rest of their life.
Open your eyes, look around,ask questions ..
Stop this animal cruelty
