A SNAKE CHARMER’S STORY

CONTENTS

 Introduction to a snake charmer

 Work of the Snake Charmer
 Law and Ban
 Poisonous snakes
 Snakes in Hindu Mythology
 KALBELIYAS
I am Aryanath. I am a snake charmer. I entertain the people with
snakes.I know how to play the been and make the snake dance. I learnt
this art from my father and grand father.
Our community is called KALBELIYAS

My
Grandfather
My father
 NAAG GUMPHAN
Naag gumphan is a kind of design in which
snake or snakes are printed or decorated on clothes
and other things. The design is also used in Rangoli
(an art form in Indian subcontinent), embroidery and
decoration in Saurastra, Gujarat and in Southern states
of India.
 Our Work and help to people
When I open the bamboo basket, people gather to watch
the snakes. They give us rice, pulses and food at the end of
the snake show.
We not entertain the people but also give the medicines
after collecting some herbs from the forests and heal some
of their illness.
We know to identify which snake has bitten the people.
We know how to remove the venom from the body of the
people bitten by snakes.
 Our Life
Fearing the punishment, we have left our snake
charmer work and now we entertain people with our
instruments.
We play the instruments:
Tumba, Been, Dhol, Kanjiri
Our party is called “been party”
 LAW AND BAN
Some people catch the snakes for their venom; some people
kill the snakes and sell their skins at high prices
To put an end to these practices, our Government has made a
law to ban the catching of snakes and keeping them in the
houses for entertainment
Snakes are Venomous
The snakes are venomous and dangerous to all; why does our government ban
the act of capturing and killing the snakes?
The reasons are:
The snakes are endangered animals, i.e. they are being killed by man everyday
that their number is becoming less. It affects the equilibrium in nature.

Secondly, our government wants to regularize the act of selling and buying
venom of snakes for anti venom preparation through recognized government
agencies and not by individual snake charmers
 Poisonous snakes In India
King Cobra Daboia / Russell’s viper

Bungarus / Krait

Afai / Sawscaled viper Bungarus / Krait

 Poisonous snakes In India
• Indian Rock Python Common Wolf Snake

Banded Racer Common cat snake checkered keelback

 Man and Animals
Circus Fortune teller Madaries

Elephants in temple Horse Riding

 Snakes in Hindu Mythology Nagapanchami

Nag Panchami is a day

devoted to the Nag Devta
or the snake god in the Hindu
tradition.

It's an important day for the devotees of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.