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Show SNAKE DIVINITIES. r.ut.atlo Forma of Wiirahlp . 3onhvr-.t Conat of India. Serpent worship and tho propitiation of snake divinities, which once spread all over Asia, still maintain a tena-clous tena-clous hold on the littlo native states of Cochin nnd Travancore,.on the south-west south-west coast of lndln. Hero Hindoos high and low revere tho cobra ns tliey did n thousand years ago, nnd It U con-sldcred con-sldcred n heinous crime' to Injure tho reptile or neglect Its Interests. In the district of Trnvancore nlono there arc between 15.000 and 20,000 shrines dedicated exclusively to the worship of snakes which possess ex-tensive ex-tensive nnd valuable properties for their maintenance and for the cost of the ceremonies which the keepers havo to perform from time to time. In these shrines the Hindoos net down fantastic Idols of sonant on n stono bnse, and the shrine Is protected by a mud wall. Householders to assure their welfare should make offering of dough, milk and cooked rice to the ser-pertlne ser-pertlne habitues of the shrine and placo lights and chant hymns la order to be assured of their favor. Every morning tbo king and queen of tho serpents are bathed, and fruit and milk are offered to them, to bo followed at noon by cooked rice and fried grain. On certain days tho Idols la grove and household temple aro carried In procession pro-cession to the bouse, where propltla-tary propltla-tary offerings are made? The presiding functionary must be the eldest female member of tho family, who has to practice prac-tice celibacy from tho day she nttalns the position. At famous snake festivals at Tr.ivnn-corc Tr.ivnn-corc pious folk gather from all parts tn tnin in tim wnrshit). brliicluc offer ings of gold, silver, grain, pepper, spices, oil, sandalwood, silk and other tilings. Tho cost of the festivals H defrayed de-frayed by tho revenues of the paddy fields and gnrdensnttnelied to tho shrines. It Is believed that unless tho ceremonies nro conducted with reverence rever-ence the largest cobras of the grove will come out and show themselves to the members of the house. The nn-tlves nn-tlves also believe that snake bites In the neighborhood of these shrines never nev-er prGvo fatal. Bo that as It may. deaths from snake bites are very rare, though many groves contain as many as thirty cobras and tho shrines In Trnvancore Trn-vancore number between fifteen nnd twenty thousnnd. The snakes of India are rarely aggressive, ag-gressive, but generally keep to themselves, them-selves, nnd. being so kindly treated and benevolently attended, It Is not nston-lshlng nston-lshlng that they become docile nnd harmless.1' 'Air over Travancoro tho people peo-ple wkeftMkjjfjftKMajmnUo approaching say, "The god Is' coming," nnd innko' way for the divinity. Children play fearlessly about tho groves while their serpentine friends arc gliding about or basklnc In the sun and have never been known to ho harmed. When the grove. become overrun with serpents tho surplus sur-plus population Is removed and sent to other shrines, certain plods Brnhmans being especially applied to for this purposeNew pur-poseNew York Herald. |