The Vadi tribe in Gujarat state, India is called the “snake tribe” because they eat, live, and sleep with snakes, and consider venomous snakes as members of the tribe. (Nguyet Han)
This is the tribe considered the most snake-loving in the world, because for many generations, they have lived with poisonous snakes.
This tribe is also the birthplace of snake charmers. They are excellent snake charmers and have spread the art throughout India.
Being able to hypnotize snakes is not easy. Vadi children will be guided by their parents and grandparents from the age of 2.
As toddlers, Vadi children are introduced to snakes. They eat, sleep, and play with venomous snakes.
Visitors to the village where the Vadi tribe lives will see children carrying snakes around their necks and walking around.
All Vadi children must attend a village school to learn snake charmers, a course that lasts up to 10 years.
Girls learn how to tame venomous snakes in the wild, take care of them, and get to know and be close to venomous snakes.
The boys learned to blow the trumpet, to make the snake coiled in the box stand up and sway to the music.
Learning snake hypnosis is not just for money or fun, but it is a measure of a child’s maturity.
Vadi children can play with poisonous snakes without worry, because they have been fed a type of leaf that neutralizes the venom.
The Vadi people hold snakes in high regard. Although they capture them from the wild to tame them, they only keep them with them for no more than seven months.
The Vadi people believe that if they keep snakes for more than 7 months, they will find ways to harm people.
Because of this horrifying custom, the Indian government has banned the Vadi people from living with snakes.
However, this tribe strongly opposes the government, because their custom of living with snakes has existed for thousands of years and is an indispensable tradition.
