The Snake Fair of Churu
From tradition to brutality
How misplaced political patronage has transformed a traditional celebration of faith to a competitive demonstration of cruelty
A disturbing spectacle
of cruelty
By Dharmendra Khandal
On the occasion of Goga Navami, the ninth day of the moon’s waning phase (Krishna Paksha) in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada that overlaps with parts of August-September, hundreds of snakes and lizards are illegally captured, displayed and tortured for amusement in the town of Churu in North Rajasthan.
This is a stark departure from the original spirit of reverence that marked the Gogaji Fair – a traditional congregation dedicated to folk deity Goga, a warrior-hero of the Panwar Rajput clan and believed to protect people from snakebites.
Before the development of modern anti-venom, people relied on faith in Goga for psychological healing from snakebites. In fact, Rajasthan has six to seven similar folk gods, all associated with protection from snakebite.
With the advent of antivenom in India, this belief system began to decline. Unfortunately, the loss of faith has now taken a troubling turn instead of fading peacefully, it has revived in the form of animal abuse in the name of folk gods.
Historically, the fair was a peaceful and symbolic celebration, where faith, folk songs, the beat of warrior drums and few snakes gave pilgrims courage against the fear of snakebite. But over time, the event has transformed into a disturbing spectacle of cruelty.
Man bites snakes
A man holds a highly venomous Sind Krait and even three rare red-spotted royal snakes, between his teeth. What was once faith has turned into a reckless performance.
Cobra without fangs
Devotees display cobras whose fangs have been cruelly extracted. A cloth is forced into their mouths to pull out the teeth, leaving the snakes helpless and unable to feed naturally.
Mouth-taming trick
Performers shove a live Indian monitor lizard into their mouths, drawing cheers from the crowd. The animal, however, is stressed, injured, and often starved.
Monitor lizard misery
An Indian Monitor Lizard, a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, is shoved into a man’s mouth. Capturing or exhibiting this species is illegal.
The black royals
“Black-headed royal snakes” -- locally called Ghoda Pachhar (believed to outrun horses) or Rajatvanshi (silvery-shining) -- are paraded as symbols of power. Some men even turned defanged cobras into props.
Forced open mouth
A monitor lizard’s jaws are pried open and displayed to mislead villagers into believing they are venomous, which is a lie.
Snakes shaken, spines broken
Crowds pass cobras and lizards from hand to hand, shaking them violently. Many reptiles suffer broken spines and permanent injuries.
Elders in the spectacle
Earlier, village elders discouraged cruelty. Today, they are active participants.
Faith meets exploitation
Once rooted in respect for Goga Dev and his protection from snakebites, the fair is now dominated by staged cruelty and thrill-seeking.
Political patronage
Parties across the political lines now reward participating groups with trophies and cash for the largest and most striking displays of snakes.
From 20 snakes to 300
Twenty-five years ago, only 20–30 snakes appeared at the fair. Today, nearly 250–300 snakes of at least 10 species, including cobras, royal snakes, sand boas, and many desert species are paraded, even by children.
A step back
The Snake Fair of Churu reflects the conflict between tradition and modernity. What began as a community’s way of overcoming fear of snakes has devolved into a disturbing show of cruelty. To truly honour Goga the Snake God, the fair must return to its roots: faith without exploitation, devotion without harm.
Khandal runs TigerWatch, a Ranthambhore-based non-profit
Images credit: Dharmendra Khandal
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