Snake worshippers press council for puthu shrines

Snake worship is an ancient practice among certain Hindus who worship the snake goddess Nagamma.

Trevor Moodley, 61, of Brookdale has already erected a temporary structure around a puthu on a piece of vacant land, with financial help from community members.

“Worshippers in the community have assisted with donations to erect a steel structure. We had a prayer at the site last Sunday. We want the municipality to give the land to us or lease it so that we can build a solid structure. We will then maintain the land,” he said.

He said he had approached local councillors to help obtain permission to lease the land, but without success.

Puthus have been set up illegally on vacant land, at roadsides and on verges throughout Durban, where worshippers have used saris to adorn “holy ground” and make offerings of fruit and milk.

A Democratic Alliance member of the provincial legislature, George Mari, said religious leaders needed to motivate the legitimacy of the snake pits as holy ground for the council to make a ruling.

“There is a need for the council to come up with a policy, as the community is saying it has religious significance,” he said.

He said councillors were not able to give permission for structures to be erected around snake pits.

He added that the community should not build the illegal structures and then become angry when the council removed them.

Ashwin Trikamjee, the SA Hindu Maha Sabha president, said puthus were regarded as holy. “In instances where they can be accommodated, the municipality must consider and be flexible, but obviously they can’t do it everywhere, as it is not practical and may have an impact on traffic,” he said.

Council spokesman Thabo Mofokeng did not respond to enquiries.