Bhopal students learn about harmless side of snake on Nag Panchami

Keen to educate children and students about snakes, an expert here showcased the harmless side of these reptiles today, which also happens to be Nag Panchami festival.

Bhopal, Aug 18 : Keen to educate children and students about snakes, an expert here showcased the harmless side of these reptiles today, which also happens to be Nag Panchami festival.

Nag Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of the moonlit-fortnight in the month of Shravan every year, according to the Hindu calendar when people worship snake god.

Students at the Bhopal Academy School were educated about snakes during an interactive session, including their breeding and how humans should respond to them.

Students said they really enjoyed the session.

"A snake never hurts anyone and, it only hurts when someone teases it. It is released to the fields so that it can save crops from insects," said Anupama, a school student.

"I used to be scared of snakes, but not anymore after an uncle told us that snakes are good and we should not be scared of them," said Sisti Sharma, another student.

Muhammad Salim, a snake expert in the city, claims to have caught and released about 59000 snakes in the past 20 years.

"I don't think there is anyone in the world who has caught 59000 snakes. I do not catch them for their poison, or their teeth. I feed them rats and frogs, and thereafter, I release them. I take care of them as my children. I am scared too, as they are poisonous. I keep them safely, and this is what I would like to tell everybody that we should not hit snakes. They are also important beings in this world," said Salim.

Salim deftly handles both poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.

During Shravan month or (July/August) serpents invariably come out of their holes that get inundated with rain-water to seek shelter in gardens and houses. As such they pose a danger to man. It is, therefore, thought that snakes are worshiped on this day. Right from the time when mankind started acquiring some sort of culture, the sun and the snake have been invoked with prayers and ritual worship in most countries. In India, even before the Vedic times, the tradition of snake-worship has been in vogue.

There are over 270 species of snakes in India, out of which, about 60 are venomous. In size, color and habits they can be very different from each other. Most of them are near-sighted and colour-blind.

ANI