Snakes and Charmers

Snake Charmers or Bede have always lived by the rivers in their boats, traveling from town to town to charm people with their tricks. Snakes are their pets and their livelihood – even little infants are taught to make friends with them. Snake Charmers used to make a decent living during market days and festivals when the bazars and playgrounds would be crowded with entertainment-hungry people. But with time the demand for the entertainment provided by the mysterious Bede have declined and these nomadic people all over Bangladesh are struggling to survive.  Most of the Bede on the main land are snake-charmers-cum-traditional medicine practitioners. But nowadays they are giving up their traditional profession. Snakes are losing habitat due to rapid unplanned -based traditional business is urbanization and industrialization. So the Bede are losing business. In this rather bleak scenario, the few Bede who have clung on to their age-old profession, try hard to make the best of their dying tradition.
Photos taken in Old Dhaka, Dhaleshwari and Bedepolli of Savar.