Tribals in Mahulia Sol village in Jamshedpur celebrated and participated in a procession to celebrate the 100-year old snake biting cure ritual dedicated to serpent divinity and traditional cure for snake bites over the weekend.
Ratin Das, a priest partaking in the celebration, said that the procession visited all nearby villages.
"We have saved almost 150 to 200 lives. We go to all nearby places, including the villages in close proximity," Das said.
Two priests with snakes around their neck, who are well-versed with snake venom cure and other traditional medicines were carried on a palanquin in a procession along with other tribals of the village.
During the celebrations, on Saturday, the tribals chanted hymns and offered devotional prayers besides dancing to the beats of drums.
The tribals were also seen worshipping the Hindu snake goddess, Manasa.
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Additionally, people participating in the ritual also ate a special herbal medicine, namely "Eklavi", that protects them from the poison of snakes.
According to the priests, the medicine develops a resistance against the snake poison in the body and has been a part of their tradition, which has been passed on from their forefathers.
"Whenever we come across any snake, we catch them. I have practiced this for long and I believe in it. I believe and have full faith in all the hymns. Whatever knowledge the ancestors have given me, I have complete faith on it," Rohin Das, a snake catcher in the village, said.
This 100-year old snake biting ritual is centuries old, and is an integral part of tribal customs, which are popular in Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal.
