In the state of Jharkhand, India, there exists a unique festival where people engage in a daring display of faith: interacting with venomous snakes. This tradition involves handling the snakes, even placing them on their bodies, and enduring bites, seemingly without being harmed. This practice is a central part of the Manasa Devi worship, a tradition observed for centuries.
This festival, observed in the Bundu region near Ranchi, is a distinctive aspect of the Manasa Devi worship. The festival is a three-day event that contrasts with typical religious practices. In this unique custom, villagers handle venomous snakes.
Local traditions say that after finishing their work during the Rohini Nakshatra, the villagers go into the forest and search for venomous snakes. After catching the snakes, they keep them at home for about a month. During the Manasa Puja, they handle these snakes and let them bite themselves.
It is believed that the snakes become harmless to the devotees thanks to the powers of the goddess Manasa. Thus, the venom of these snakes does not affect them. After the Manasa Puja, the captured venomous snakes are released in the forests.
In addition to the snake handling, participants also pierce their bodies with iron rods during the Manasa Puja. The devotees believe they feel no pain, because of the grace of Manasa Devi. The villagers believe that worshipping Manasa Devi offers protection from the dangers related to snakes. Only the people who take part in the rituals are allowed to interact with the snakes, while the other people observe the event as spectators.