For the devout, Nagula Chavithi is a competition devoted to worshipping snakes, however animal rights activists cry foul that competition is actually a loss of life lure for the snakes. Celebrated on the fourth day after Diwali yearly, devotees lift milk and different puja items to worship serpents for prosperity and well-being on at the moment. But many are blind to the toll the rituals take on the snakes, many of which finally end up useless. "What many don't realise is that snakes don't even drink milk. Pouring large quantities of milk into the pits only manages to suffocate the snake," says Pradeep Kumar Nath, founding father of VSPCA (Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals).
Poojitha, an animal lover, believes it's misconception and lack of awareness that drives other people to inflict harm on the reptiles. "What the ritual is actually about and what other people observe today, are two separate things. The concept of pouring in milk indicates abhishekam. It was no longer achieved to feed the snake. But now, other people take sachets of milk to 'feed' the snakes as a substitute of small. The milk poured in the pits saturates the soil and destroys both the eco gadget and a snake's digestive gadget. As if that isn't sufficient, we burst firecrackers close to those pits. Though burning firecrackers is the ritual, bursting noisy ones and scaring the
snake is not."
Pradeep Kumar Nath, issues out that the competition additionally encourages cruelty on the reptile. "Every year, the tribal people known as 'snake people' supply these cobras after yanking out their fangs and sewing their mouths shut before bringing them to the devotees. These cobras are caught ten days before the festival and are held captive in suffocating baskets devoid of food and water. By the time Nagula Chavithi is observed, the cobra is already half dead," he explains.
Activists, then again state that the state of affairs, over the previous few years, has noticed some indicators of growth in Hyderabad. "Thanks to awareness campaigns by NGOs and snake rescue operations, the scenario has improved in the last few years. It's heartening to see that lot of devotees have completely stopped the practice of offering milk to snakes during the festival due to our campaigns. Also, people think twice before killing a snake now. They first call snake rescue centres or handover snakes to NGO's and the forest department. The number of anti-venom centres in city that offer treatment for snake bites to have doubled," says Hyderabad-based eco-activist Ravi Jillapalli, eco activist.
Poojitha, an animal lover, believes it's misconception and lack of awareness that drives other people to inflict harm on the reptiles. "What the ritual is actually about and what other people observe today, are two separate things. The concept of pouring in milk indicates abhishekam. It was no longer achieved to feed the snake. But now, other people take sachets of milk to 'feed' the snakes as a substitute of small. The milk poured in the pits saturates the soil and destroys both the eco gadget and a snake's digestive gadget. As if that isn't sufficient, we burst firecrackers close to those pits. Though burning firecrackers is the ritual, bursting noisy ones and scaring the
snake is not."
Pradeep Kumar Nath, issues out that the competition additionally encourages cruelty on the reptile. "Every year, the tribal people known as 'snake people' supply these cobras after yanking out their fangs and sewing their mouths shut before bringing them to the devotees. These cobras are caught ten days before the festival and are held captive in suffocating baskets devoid of food and water. By the time Nagula Chavithi is observed, the cobra is already half dead," he explains.
Activists, then again state that the state of affairs, over the previous few years, has noticed some indicators of growth in Hyderabad. "Thanks to awareness campaigns by NGOs and snake rescue operations, the scenario has improved in the last few years. It's heartening to see that lot of devotees have completely stopped the practice of offering milk to snakes during the festival due to our campaigns. Also, people think twice before killing a snake now. They first call snake rescue centres or handover snakes to NGO's and the forest department. The number of anti-venom centres in city that offer treatment for snake bites to have doubled," says Hyderabad-based eco-activist Ravi Jillapalli, eco activist.
Animal lovers cry foul over Nagula Chavithi rituals
![Animal lovers cry foul over Nagula Chavithi rituals]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
October 23, 2017
Rating:
