Old enough to play with snakes?

While other one-year-olds are just learning to walk and talk, the children of Kalbelia tribe are introduced to the centuries-old art of snake charming. All the children of Kalbelia tribe come face to face with a poisonous cobra at age two.

Snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotize a snake by playing an instrument. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand. The practice is most common in India. The Kalbelia tribe in India is famous for Snake Charming.

The Kalbelias were known for their frequent movement from one place to another in ancient times. Their main occupation is catching snakes and trading snake venom. Hence, the dance movements and the costumes of their community bear a resemblance to that of the serpents. They are also known as Sapera, Jogira or Jogi. They follow Hindu religion. They trace their ancestry from Kanlipar, the 12th disciple of Guru Gorakhnath.


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