As you enter this obscure village, a dozen small temples with snake figurines welcome you. For residents of Kanholibara, around 40 km from Nagpur, these are memorials built over graves of villagers who had died of snake-bite.
In Kanholibara (bara means 12), a cluster of 12 villages, persons who die of snakebite are not cremated but are buried with a belief that these are God's children. Villagers say snakes are treated as Gods in Hindu mythology and hence the tradition. It is being followed in these villages for more than 100 years. There is no caste bar on this custom. "I've been observing the tradition of burying snake-bite victims since my childhood. It may have been in place even earlier," says 80-year-old Pandurang Yelore, a villager. Tradition has overcome science here and even the third generation of Kanholibara and villages around it continue to preserve the unique tradition, not heard of elsewhere.
These villages are surrounded by forests and encounters with snakes are common. Kishore Dahake (41), points to a temple built in the memory of his uncle Marotrao. He recalled Marotrao had died of snake-bite in 1981 while working in hi farm. He was admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital at Nagpur but succumbed after 24 hours.
"My uncle was buried here. Every Nag Panchami, our family visits the temple, offers prayers and lights a lamp (diya). It is not that we come here only on this day. We worship at the temple on all festival days," Dahake said. Vatsala Gavhale (70) too went down memory lane. She said a temple has been constructed at her farm where her 45-year-old daughter-inlaw was bitten by a snake and died nine years ago.
The dozen temples at the outskirts of village are not the only ones. You will find similar memorials in farms and in courtyards. "There may be over 100 such temples. Some 50 temples were demolished for the Kanholibara nullah project in 1972," claimed Mahadeorao Ghule, a farmer.
Kanholibara sarpanch Shravan Junghare says the latest victim was his niece 16-year-old Jaya, who was bitten by a poisonous snake in 2007. "We have built a temple in her memory too," he said.
"I will offer prayers there tomorrow. Like others, I too have painted the temple with limestone powder (chuna) and cleaned it," said 30-yearold Dhanraj Bawane, whose father Shyamrao died 15 years ago. There has been no snake-bite death in any of the villages since 2007. Junghare agrees it was an indication that snakes were dwindling.
He agreed that even while worshipping snakes and their victims, many villagers kill snakes out of fear. Secondly, use of pesticides by farmers was also taking toll of snakes. "Snakes die after consuming pesticide-infected rodents," he said. "Snakes are farmers' friends, still hundreds of snakes of various species have been killed by villagers in the area over the past few years," claimed a youth Rajesh Budbawre.
Interestingly, there are strong beliefs among villagers about killing snakes too. Junghare says kin of those who die of snake-bite never kill snakes. However, they take help of others in eliminating the reptiles if they encounter one. Secondly, many of the devotees who visit Nagdwar (a religious place in Pachmarhi) do not kill snakes. He said the malwan (popularly called do muha) in local parlance is not killed as it is considered symbol of Goddess Laxmi.
In Kanholibara (bara means 12), a cluster of 12 villages, persons who die of snakebite are not cremated but are buried with a belief that these are God's children. Villagers say snakes are treated as Gods in Hindu mythology and hence the tradition. It is being followed in these villages for more than 100 years. There is no caste bar on this custom. "I've been observing the tradition of burying snake-bite victims since my childhood. It may have been in place even earlier," says 80-year-old Pandurang Yelore, a villager. Tradition has overcome science here and even the third generation of Kanholibara and villages around it continue to preserve the unique tradition, not heard of elsewhere.
These villages are surrounded by forests and encounters with snakes are common. Kishore Dahake (41), points to a temple built in the memory of his uncle Marotrao. He recalled Marotrao had died of snake-bite in 1981 while working in hi farm. He was admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital at Nagpur but succumbed after 24 hours.
"My uncle was buried here. Every Nag Panchami, our family visits the temple, offers prayers and lights a lamp (diya). It is not that we come here only on this day. We worship at the temple on all festival days," Dahake said. Vatsala Gavhale (70) too went down memory lane. She said a temple has been constructed at her farm where her 45-year-old daughter-inlaw was bitten by a snake and died nine years ago.
The dozen temples at the outskirts of village are not the only ones. You will find similar memorials in farms and in courtyards. "There may be over 100 such temples. Some 50 temples were demolished for the Kanholibara nullah project in 1972," claimed Mahadeorao Ghule, a farmer.
Kanholibara sarpanch Shravan Junghare says the latest victim was his niece 16-year-old Jaya, who was bitten by a poisonous snake in 2007. "We have built a temple in her memory too," he said.
"I will offer prayers there tomorrow. Like others, I too have painted the temple with limestone powder (chuna) and cleaned it," said 30-yearold Dhanraj Bawane, whose father Shyamrao died 15 years ago. There has been no snake-bite death in any of the villages since 2007. Junghare agrees it was an indication that snakes were dwindling.
He agreed that even while worshipping snakes and their victims, many villagers kill snakes out of fear. Secondly, use of pesticides by farmers was also taking toll of snakes. "Snakes die after consuming pesticide-infected rodents," he said. "Snakes are farmers' friends, still hundreds of snakes of various species have been killed by villagers in the area over the past few years," claimed a youth Rajesh Budbawre.
Interestingly, there are strong beliefs among villagers about killing snakes too. Junghare says kin of those who die of snake-bite never kill snakes. However, they take help of others in eliminating the reptiles if they encounter one. Secondly, many of the devotees who visit Nagdwar (a religious place in Pachmarhi) do not kill snakes. He said the malwan (popularly called do muha) in local parlance is not killed as it is considered symbol of Goddess Laxmi.
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