Nag Panchami: No reviving practice of live worship of snakes, say animal rights activists

Thane: A section of environmentalists and animal rights activists have opposed the Maharashtra government's plan to explore ways to resume the practice of worshipping live snakes on Nag Panchami in Battis Shirala town of Sangli district.

Battis Shirala is known for its erstwhile practice of worshipping live snakes on Nag Panchami, celebrated in the month of Shravan. The Bombay High Court in 2002 banned the processions of cobras in the town.

The issue was raised in the state assembly on Wednesday by BJP legislator Satyajit Deshmukh, who said Nag Panchami festival in Battis Shirala is a religious tradition with historical significance.

State forest minister Ganesh Naik had told the House that a meeting would be held on July 7-8 with Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Bhupender Yadav) to see how the practice can be restarted.

"There is absolutely no need to revive a custom that inflicts pain on an already endangered species. Cobras are protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act. Such practices contradict the spirit and the letter of the law. Moreover, the practice has been declining in recent years, thanks to a Bombay High Court order," said noted herpetologist Mrugank Prabhu.

NatConnect Foundation director BN Kumar also opposed the move and said snakes are starved for days to show devotees that they are drinking milk.

Environmental activist Jyoti Nadkarni, who has worked with Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said snakes subjected to such practices like force-feeding of milk suffer from pneumonia.