The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-10-24
SNAKE WORSHIP IN INDIA
ONE HOLIDAY SET APART YEAR
LIZ IN THEIR HONOR.
For a Week Before the Festival
Reptiles Are Carried in Great
Numbers to the Temples.

Numbers to the Temples.
Snake worship, next to tree and
sun worship, is one of the oldest
forms of religious veneration in the
worlds history, and throughout In
dia to this day snakes are regarded
with a superstitious reverence which
people in this country can scarcely
credit. The fifth of Shavan shudh,
or according to our calendar the
9TH of July, is legal holiday to
give the people an opportunity to
feed and worship snakes.
For more than week before the
appointed festival, says a writer who
once witnessed it, snakes were
brought into Bombay every day in
baskets, placed in rope nets and
hung on the ends of bamboo poles,
which snake charmers carried across
their shoulders. The snakes being
sacred creatures, they were kept in
and about the temples until the day
of the holy fair.
Early On the morning of the
feast day the scene was one never
to be forgotten. The roads leading
to the various temples were thronged
by dense crowds in holiday attire
of every color of the railbow, many
of the mems dresses sparkling with
gold and precious stones. The
streets were gay with flags, flowers
and tinsel ornaments, while booths
for the sale of little gods, sacred
beads, trinklets, toys, sweetmeats
and flowers occupied every availa-
BILE space. The booths were es-
pecially gay near the shrines of the
gods along the road side.
Long professions of women, en-
veloped in many yards of muslin
and closely veiled passed, singing
monOtOnOus chants, and carrying
rice, sugar and spicse to lay before
the images OF Krishna, the god who
killed the huge serpent that desc
lated the banks of the River Jumma
in the dim ages of Hindu mythology.
AS Hindus are forbidden by their
religion to take animal life, they
consider it necessary to appease the
anger of dangerous animals by gifts
and intercessions; whence come
many of their festivals.
In front of the temple where the
most important ceremony was to
take place several hundred sap
walls" or snake charmers, sat on
the ground, resting on their heels
and playing toumril flutes, which
are pipes made out Of dried pump
kins, with two hollow pipes insert
ed, and perforated for lingering.
The din was deafening, especially as
native bands were playing on every
side; but the people seemed to en-
joy it.
Every snake charmer had one or
two assistants, who arranged the
snake baskets in front of their mas
tiers. and set down the large brass
bowls to receive the offerings of milk
that were brought by the worship
ers in brass vessels called lotas AS
soon as the bowls were filled, at a
signal from the charmer the lids
were removed from the baskets, and
Immediately the cobras made rush
toward the milk, immersed their
heads in the bowls, and never moved
or stopped drinking until they had
drunk enough Sometimes one was
lifted away to make room for an
other, and then it pulled out is hood,
in anger, of which the snake charm
er took not the least notice, but
popped it quickly into a basket.
Eggs were also given to the reptiles,
and they swallowed them with evil
dent relish. AS long as the snakes
could eat eggs and drink milk they
had an abundance of both, while
money was freely given to their own
ers.
Men with snakes hung around
their necks like boas wandered about
among the people, reciting stories
and legends of the gods, thus earn
ing an honest penny during a holt
day. Priests, young and old, hun
dreds of them, received the homage
and gifts of the people for the tenn
No Hindu will hurt or kill a
snake. but should one take up it's
abode in his house or hut he will
give it milk, and then gently tell it
that, although he feels honored by
its visit, and pleased to see it, yet
he thinks it would be happier and
more comfortable outside than in
his poor dwelling. Should the snake
prefer to remain then the owner OF
the house either goes out, or shares
it with the unlimited guest, until the
rentile leaves of its own accord.
vouno Mother AT 70.