India is made up of thousands of different cultures. Different cultures also mean a lot of strange and bizarre traditions.
There is a village in India were people give snakes in dowry. Yes, you read that right. According to scriptures, Nagas (cobras) protect the hidden treasure on earth. People even consider that killing snakes can result in health related problems like sickness, death, childlessness, or misfortune. So, they worship Nag devta and offer milk to snakes.
Killing of a snake is often considered inauspicious in some cultures. It is believed that if a person sees a snake being killed, then misfortune will follow him/her, because the snake is associated with Lord Vishnu and Shiva.
According to some beliefs, if the snake dies, rituals have to be performed to avoid misfortune. There is a village in Chhattisgarh where people give 21 different kinds of venomous snakes as dowry. People in the village of Joginagar in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh believe that the bride will become a widow if they do not provide snakes in dowry.
People in this village are snake charmers. They earn their living by making snakes perform stunts. The village also has strict rules to save snakes. They perform final rites after the snake’s death for its soul.