Sapera is a form of dance from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is commonly thought of as a snake dance it is a dance that features heavily in the twirls with richly embroidered robes flaying out in display.
Sapera is a name given to the
snake charmers of India. Since the introduction of the
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Before 1972, India had only five designated national parks. Among other reforms, the Act established scheduled pr ...
the Sapera's numbers have been dwindling - what was in the thousands is now limited to only a few hundred. Their professions and their religion are slowly being 'phased out' by a law that was put in place to stop the illegal skin/fur trade.
Many Sapera practice their trade/snake handling based upon their following of the God
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
- depicted with a Cobra.
Most of the saperas are found to be in
Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
north part of India. But some saperas are also to be found in some parts of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
where they doing business from unstable places, moving here and there, and show their talents with 'saanp'
snakes
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...
and earn some money.
See also
*
Kalbelia
The Kalbelia are a snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. The dance is an integral part of their culture and performed by men and women.
Kalbelia tribe
Kalbelias are followers of Sage Kanifnath, who drank a bowl of poi ...
*
Jogi sect
External links
''Shuvani''
Dances of India
Romani dances
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