GROWTH OF A NOMADIC COMMUNITY IN INDIA: A GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THEIR OCCUPATION

Abstract [English]

In India, there are a community of Snake Charmers. And they are one of a number of semi-nomadic communities found especially in North India, who lives in camps at the outskirts of the selected towns. In the state of Haryana, the community is known as the Sapera Nath. They are further divided into ten sub-groups. Some of them are- the Brahmin Sapera, Jhinwar Sapera, Soggar Sapera, Bihal Sapera, Nakphule Sapera, and Sandenath Sapera. These divisions are said to reflect the diverse origin of this community where people of different caste backgrounds took to the occupation of snake charming and over time evolved into a distinct community. They now have Scheduled Caste status in the state of Haryana. Here, the occupation of Sapera community reflects the base of the socio-economic conditions after the Wild life Protection Act. So, many people are engaged in government and private sectors. Out of these traditional healers, 8 to 9 persons are famous for treating snakebites also in the state of Haryana. The number of such snakebites people is higher in the rainy season because people encounter snakes mainly in the rainy season.