02-07-2025
Forest Minister to take up live snake worship demand with Centre
Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that he would raise the issue of permitting live snake worship during Nag Panchami with the Union government.
Naik said he would urge the Centre to explore legal avenues, including court intervention, to allow the revival of the traditional practice, particularly in Sangli's Battis Shirala town.
The Minister added that a meeting with Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav has been scheduled for July 7-8, where the matter will be discussed.
The issue was brought to the House through a calling attention motion by BJP MLA Satyajit Deshmukh, who said that the long-standing religious and cultural tradition in Battis Shirala must be reinstated. Deshmukh drew parallels with the Supreme Court's decision to allow Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and the permitted ceremonial use of elephants, suggesting that similar concessions could be made for Nag Panchami observances.
'The Battis Shirala Nag Panchami has historical and cultural importance and is even mentioned in school textbooks,' Deshmukh said. 'There is no evidence to suggest harm to the reptiles,' he said.
The town is known for its unique tradition of capturing and worshipping live cobras during the Hindu month of Shravan.
