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The Kalbeliya Gypsy people are known as the snake
charmer caste.
Indian people fear snakes, and particularly the cobra, which kills
hundreds of people every year. Kalbeliya catch cobras, remove their
fangs, and domesticate them. In India, the cobra is not only feared,
it is also venerated as a mystic animal. It is the ally of Shiva, the
most powerful Indian God, and is represented on all images and
statues. Kalbeliya men for centuries have exploited this fear and
interest to “charm” snakes for money; they train the cobra to stand
and sway out of a woven basket while they play their traditional
Poongi flute. Indian people today remain fascinated, and some are
willing to give a coin for the chance to observe the mystic cobra from
a safe distance.
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