NCERT Solutions for Class 5 EVS Chapter 2

The Kalbeliya dance, also called “snake dance” began in Rajasthan, in the north-western province of India. It has been created by the gypsy caste kalbeliyas, or saperas, who are nomads that travel through the Thar desert or set up their camps at the edge of large cities.

Snake charmers not only entertain people by their snake shows but they also help the people in villages by providing them with the medical services as the hospitals and doctors are far away from them. In return, the villagers gave the snake charmers money and food grains.

The things young snake charmers learnt about snake from their fathers are –
• catching snakes,
• playing been, preparing medicines,
• how to close the tube of poison in the snake’s mouth etc.?
• how to attract a snake and control its movements using music or using an instrument called “punji”?
• That all snakes are not poisonous.
• choosing the non- poisonous snakes to charm since they were less dangerous compared to the poisonous ones.
• removing the fangs of a poisonous snake.

Out of the many kinds of snakes found in our country, only four types of snakes are poisonous. They are:
• Cobra,
• Common Krait,
• Russel’s Viper (Duboiya),
• Saw-scaled Viper (Afai). A snake has two hollow teeth (fangs).

The snake charmers earn money by doing snake charming. It is their profession. This is why snakes are treasure for them. Snakes are a treasure as they pass them on from one generation to another. They even gift snakes to our daughters when they get married.

Sometimes, the snake charmers are called to those places where somebody has been bitten by a snake as clinics/ hospitals are far away. From the characteristics of the bite, snake charmers try to find out which snake has bitten that individual and afterwards give a prescription/ medicine.

A snake has two hollow teeth also called fangs. When it bites, the poison enters the person’s body through the fangs. It enters our body through blood and goes to many parts of our body.

A common sign of a bite from a venomous or poisonous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal’s fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occur. It can cause-
Bleeding, kidney failure, severe allergic reaction, tissue death around the bite, breathing problems and even death of a person.

Snakes do not have external ears and thus, they can’t hear like how we hear the sound. Still they swing their head in time with the tune. This is because snakes have a hearing organ inside their head, which is connected with their jaw bones. These nerves enable the snakes to sense the vibrations of a sound and thus they are able to dance with the bean.

This law has been passed in the interest of animals. Many animals are being used for entertainment and as means for earning livelihood, such as in circus, with snake charmers, etc. They take care of these animals because they have to earn their livelihood from them, but the animals would be happy if they are allowed to live freely in their natural habitat.
Nobody likes slavery. Further, if any animals do any mistake during the training or the show, the trainer tortures it, which is wrong. Apart from these, many hunters and poachers kill animals for their skins, tusks, horns etc. After making the law, such activities are checked so it is a good move.

Snake poison (Venom) is used to create a medicine called Anti venom that is used to save the lives of people who have been bitten by a snake.

The symptoms of snake bite are as follows:
• Two puncture wound.
• Swelling and redness around the wound
• Pain at the bite
• Difficulty in breathing
• Vomiting and nausea
• Blurred vision
• Sweating
• Numbness on the face and limb

Poaching is defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals. It is the illegal shooting, trapping, or taking of fish, animals or plants from a place where such practices are specially reserved or forbidden. Poaching is a major threat to many wild organisms worldwide and is an main reason for loss to the animal world. A poacher is someone who breaks the law to hunt or capture animals.

People for Animals (PFA), also known as People for Animals India, is India’s largest animal welfare organization. It regularly works with various other animal’s welfare and rights organizations such as Humane Society International (HSI) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). People for animal’s Wild protection bodies have come forward to protest against the use of animals in a circus.
PETA is People for the ethical treatment of animal. PETA’s aim is to stop animal suffering, and use every available opportunity to reach people with such messages. They reach the masses and initiate discussion, debate, questioning and action.
Both PETA and PFA discourage the use of animals for entertainment, sports and experimentation.

Animals like Lion, Elephant, Bear and Monkeys are used to entertain people. These animals are trained to do breathing acts. To be trained for such acts the animals are beaten, starved and even tied with chains. They are kept in small cages which are not cleaned regularly. They are not given rest. The claws and nails of the animals are mostly removed so that the trainer does not get hurt.

The animals being used for entertainment of people are monkeys who dance on the instructions of his master (madari), the circus has lions, elephants, dogs, hippo and monkeys entertaining the people.

Snakes kill animals like rats that damage food crops. As they prevent the destruction of food crops that a farmer grows for his livelihood and hence snakes are farmer’s friend. Their diets of rats, mice, and insects like aphids, beetles, and slugs make them better than any pesticides that are put in fields. Snakes help the farmers by protecting their field from rats or other small animals, snakes eat them as their food.

Snakes are most likely to bite when they feel threatened, upset, irritated, or when they have been cornered. Snakes approach residential areas when attracted by prey, such as rodents.

Anti-venom is usually made by collecting venom from the relevant animal and injecting small amounts of it into a domestic animal. The antibodies that form are then collected from the domestic animal’s blood and purified. Versions are available for spider bites, snake bites, fish stings, and scorpion stings. The medicine is made from the snake’s poison and is available in all government hospitals.

Been, tumba, khanjiri are the three instruments are made from dried gourd (lauki).

Naag gumphan is a kind of design in which snake or snakes are printed or decorated on clothes and other things. The design is also used in Rangoli (an art form in Indian subcontinent), embroidery and decoration in Saurastra, Gujarat and in Southern states of India.

The scales skin of snakes has been used as accessories, especially in bags, shoes, etc. They are either hunted or grown on a commercial scale. Many different breeds of snakes are captured and shipped to other countries to be sold in pet shops. Venomous snakes are used for making anti-venom, which is made from their venom and is used to save the life of a snake bite victim. Snake skin is used for making many things including shoes, purses and belts.

Snake charmers in the India are snake catchers and trainers. They usually catch snakes and train them to perform various tricks by showing this kind of snake tricks they earn money. Snake charmers are often regarded as traditional healers and magicians, as well, especially in rural areas.

Like snake-charmers, following people also depend on animals for their livelihood
• Milkmen get milk from cows and buffaloes to sell for their livelihood.
• Fishermen catch fishes to sell in the market and earn money.
• Shepherds depend on sheep for wool.
• Madaris make monkeys dance to earn money.
• A tonga wala uses horse to carry people and earn his livelihood.

Snake charmers typically walk the streets holding their serpents in baskets or pots hanging from a bamboo pole slung over the shoulder. Charmers cover these containers with clothes between their performances.

Kalbelia or Kabeliya is a dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by a tribe of the same name. They are famous for their dance which is an integral part of their culture. Both men and women in the tribe participate in this activity to celebrate joyful occasions.

Snake charmers make different medicines from the plants collected from the forests.

Snake charmers are called to help those people who have been bitten by a snake. People trust in their abilities. They are so experienced with this that they can understand which snake has bitten the person just by looking at the marks

The truth is some (not all) snake charmers capture wild cobras, ripping out their fangs and sewing the mouths shut so they can never strike the charmer. These snakes then die a horrible death from starvation, taking many excruciating months.

The government has made such laws so that no one can catch or kill or keep wild animals because they are day by day getting endangered. It is a step taken to ensure that they can survive in the forest area as there so many species which are extinct now and so many are getting endangered.

After the government has passed the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the snake charmer communities have been struggling for their survival. The law has banned the ownership of snakes, punishing the culprits with heavy fines and up to seven years of imprisonment.

Although the snakes are able to sense sound around them, they do not have the outer ear that help them to hear the music. They just follow the pungi that the “snake charmer” holds in his hands. The snake thinks that the person and pungi are a threat and respond to it as if it were a predator. This is how the snake charmer controls its snake.

The Kalbelia tribe’s traditional occupation is catching snakes and trading the snake venom. Hence, the dance movements and the costumes of this dance community have a similarity to that of the serpents. The Kalbelias keep on moving their deras from one place to another in an indirect route repeated over time.

Rangoli is a form of art that originated in the Indian subcontinent. In rangoli different designs and patterns are created on the floor or a tabletop by using materials such as powdered lime stone, red yellowish-brown coloured material, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petals, and coloured rocks etc.

The rangoli is a symbol of pleasure, positivity and energy of a household, and is made to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck. It is believed that a Hindu household without a clean entrance and rangoli is a house of darida (bad luck). The purpose of rangoli is thus not only decoration but it has other significance too.

Fangs are sharp, long, hollow teeth that are connected to a small sac in the snake’s head which is behind its eyes. These sacs yield a poisonous liquid called venom. When a snake bites, the venom is released and it starts working immediately and kills or paralyses the prey.

The snake charmers carry snakes in bamboo baskets because to entertain people they move to different locations. So, they have to ensure that people do not get scared of them and the snakes also remain in their control. And when they entertain the people, they take out the snakes from the basket and keep them back again. The snakes thus spend their lives in small cane baskets

To prevent the snake from biting them, the snake charmers break off the animal’s fangs or sew its mouth shut. Thus by removing the reptile’s fangs or venom glands, or even sewing the snake’s mouth shut, the snake charmers protect themselves.