In a traditional custom, a local holy man was bitten by a poisonous snake as a part of the snake festival in Sureli village of Tonk district in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan.
Hundreds of villagers participated in the annual ritual with great zeal. It is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of the local deity, TejaJi.
During the festival, a procession is taken around the village in which a snake is carried in a cane basket. The snake is then made to bite a devotee, a local holy man, on his tongue in order to invoke the blessings of TejaJi.
“Since the evening of ‘Navmi’ (ninth day of the festivity), a procession is carried across the village with the snake god and after that, next day people gathered at the fair and around 4 to 5 in the evening, when the snake bites Gotiya Baba on his tongue, after that he is released back to his place,” said Ram Kishan, a local.
According to the belief, only one man needs to perform this dangerous ritual so that the all villagers are safeguarded from any venomous creature.
“Since the past 15 years, the fair is organised in this village. Village people participate in the ‘parikrama’ (circumambulation) for five days and on the day of ‘Navmi’, the snake god arrives at the temple. Villagers believe that by performing this ritual, no villager will die if bitten by any poisonous snake and creature,” said Chotu Lal, a villager.
The festive is celebrated by the villagers with great pomp and show, while traditional musicians and dancers entertain the crowd.
Surprisingly, the person who gets bitten by the snake remains unharmed and needs no medical aid or attention.
The devotees who are bitten do not utter a word for three days except to recite mantras.