India is steeped in ancient religious beliefs. Snake Charmers believe they are the direct decedents of Lord Shiva who is depicted with a cobra coiled around his neck
One of the major attractions for tourists visiting India has been to see first hand India’s Snake Charmers performing their mystical craft. For generations, India’s snake charmers have been entertainers. Entertaining kings and emperors with their music and snakes, Snake Charmers are revered by millions of Hindus around the world. This is because Snake Charmers are considered to be direct descendants of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God with the Cobra coiled around his neck. The traditions of India’s Snake Charmers, or Saperas, as they are often referred to, have been handed down from their forefathers - father to son for millennia. India without Snake Charmers would be like India without the Taj Mahal – unbelievable. Unbelievable or not, India’s snake charmers can no longer perform their ancient craft, it has come to an end and now they have to seek alternate means to earn a living. This is due to the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (IWPA) introduced in 1972 in order to protect many of the nations rapidly depleting species of wildlife, including reptiles. But this act was not rigorously imposed regards Snake Charmers until about ten years ago. This act has now created a humanitarian issue having impacted dramatically on many communities 'clans' livelihoods and millions of people's religious practices. In the eyes of a wildlife conservationist, a snake in a snake charmer’s custody means it has no chance of surviving in the wild. “Once captured, it will die in the hands of the snake charmer,” "Snakes are the best rodent controllers. They are the best hunters of rats in a wheat or rice field. We say that snakes are the best friends of the farmer; hence, removing snakes would be an ecological disaster.” But the Snake Charming community insist that they would never harm a snake, "They are like a god to us."
Size: 2592px × 3872px
Location: India, State of Haryana
Photo credit: © Adrian Page / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: blue, bronze, brown, cobra, figure, image, lord, shiva, statue, trident, yellow
