It’s common for people to shudder and get goosebumps at the sight of a venomous snake. Most people hope to never encounter one. However, did you know that there’s a state in India where people, instead of avoiding venomous snakes, actually wrap them around their necks? During this, the snakes do not harm them at all. People perform dangerous stunts with snakes to please the goddess.
This isn’t a movie plot, but a tradition in the Bundu subdivision area of Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, where devotees have been observing a unique tradition for hundreds of years to please Maa Mansa Devi, the snake goddess. This religious ritual, which lasts for three days, is very different and strange from the worship of common deities. Under this tradition, villagers walk around with venomous snakes around their necks, and a snake fair is held in the village.