I painted this last night using water colours.
The snake walk with Steffi and Fayaz of Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and students of class 7- Abacus Montessori School, left me in wonder.
It was an experience that I would love to share.
Snakes are fascinating creatures, they slither about at the speed of light, in the thick jungles of the western ghats and a few common ones are even seen even in the eastern ghats.
The Madras Crocodile Bank has an initiative where people can register for what they call ‘Snake Walks’ along the rural fringes of the area opposite to theirs. It is lead by Irulas, a resident snake catching tribe, who have an uncanny sense of their location, movement and behaviour. They also have a self sufficient and sustainable healing system, a science that is also passed on from father to son, mother to daughter. This is an inherent knowledge system – not at all school led!!
The walk is an eye opener for the terrified ‘aam aadmi’ who sees snakes as vile, conniving creatures, waiting to pierce their evil, poisonous fangs to attack them ! You will learn about the big fours! But you will also learn that they are minuscule in numbers and that the snakes we usually encounter, are most often non-venomous!
The Irula men and women just use a long stave and a gunny sack. They take us along the dry arid desert shrubs gently tapping the stave along the ground. Out of the blue you will find that they come out with a long reptile entwined in their hand.
It turns out that there are myriad varieties of snakes around Chennai and they are identified with various physical features. A closer observation of their behaviour leads you to know that they are just going about their business, attack is but a defence mechanism and if one were to see, they look like they are best friends with the Irulas!
The scales on each of them were so beautifully aligned, symmetrical and subtly coloured, not only making sure they are well camouflaged but also giving each of them a different character in terms of design and colour.
This experience left me with a deep impact from which emerged a fascination for these creatures! I wanted and render them in an art. My Koi brushes screamed at me across my A5 water colour notebook and it then happened!
I felt that it was all playing in my mind – the walk and Maha Shivaratri festival – it all poured out from the deep ravines of my heart.