India Children of the many snake charmers in the village
Sitting
less than a metre away from a poisonous cobra, the children show no
signs of fear and do not flinch when faced with one of the deadly
snakes.
Children in India's 600-strong Vadi tribe are first introduced to snakes at the age of two.
All
Vadi children complete a ten-year initiation ritual that culminates in
the boys becoming fully-fledged performing snake charmers.
The
act of snake charming with a traditional flute is the role of the men,
while the Vadi women care for the snakes and handle them when their
husbands or brothers are not around.
"The
training begins at two, the children then are then taught the ancient
ways of snake charming until they are ready to take up their roles in
our community," says chief snake charmer Babanath Mithunath Madari, 60.
India—Children
of the many snake charmers in the village of Padmakesharpur are no
strangers to cobras. Early encounters with defanged or devenomed snakes
help the babies grow up fearless.
Photo by Adrian Fisk, Digital Railroad
Photo by Adrian Fisk, Digital Railroad
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