Loharsol, The Snake Village
Loharsol is a village about seven kilometres from the town of Purulia in West Bengal. It is the home of the snake charmer (Baida) people. The Baida are historically a nomadic caste, and for centuries considered themselves as children of the snake goddess Ma Manasa. Whilst caste system discrimination is officially outlawed under the Indian constitution, social divides are still present, especially in rural areas, and until recently, with the work of Prabhat Alloi, the Baida have been shunned. The Baida people have long been financially poor but are very rich in culture.
The traditional lifestyle for generations involved sourcing income through snake-charming, with men taking the one-hour walk to Purulia city and begging with cobras. From a young age boys are still taught to go into the forest to catch snakes and learn how to handle them.
To assist the Snake Village, Prabhat Alloi has built houses, installed a well and a dam, and supported a shift to agriculture, with land organised through the local council. Our homeopathic doctor visits the village once a week to offer free medicine. The women have learnt about hygeine, personal presentation and business skills through our self-help group. They now catch the bus to local markets and proudly sell their traditional woven mats, enabling them to ensure to provide food regularly for their families.
The children from this village now attend the Prabhat Alloi school tuition centre. Some as old as twelve came for the first time, to learn reading and writing for the first time proudly seated alongside of the preps. We extend great thanks to our sponsors and supporters The Gully Group, who raised the money to provide a fleet of four rickshaw school buses that deliver the children to and from the school every day.
