While India is technologically well developed in urban areas, it is also a country dominated by many superstitions regarding it's beautiful gifted and diverse fauna.

Nagpanchami, an Indian festival very true to its name, is celebrated to worship the Nagas, or Cobras, as these creatures have a great significance in Indian mythology. Strange but true, as a part of the worship ceremonies, cobras are offered milk, as well as a variety of spices, which is not food for cobras, in fact any snake in the world. At times, devotees are seen pouring bowls of milk over the snake’s head, and sprinkling the head with haldi (turmeric), kumkum (saffron) and other powdered spices that form the worship rituals. The milk and the different spices enter through nostrils into lungs often causing a slow and painful death.

These religious ceremonies are difficult to stop because people have been following them for centuries, even though they have been outlawed.It's my feeling that people don’t worship them because of the spiritual connection, they worship it out of fear, the fear of getting bitten by Nag.
Photo: saleel gharpure