The Sapera community is a semi-nomadic group of traditional snake charmers and catchers across North India. These can be particularly found in states like Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The word “Sapera” itself means snake charmer.
Historically, Saperas travelled village to village with cobras, one of the most venomous snakes in the world, in baskets. These were trained snakes which would dance to the iconic ‘been’ tunes. It was mostly meant for entertainment. People would often remove uninvited snakes from homes and farms.
Today, their traditional livelihoods are disappearing and families have transitioned into folk musicians, street performers or labourers. But travellers visiting rural areas in northern India may still encounter folks from the Sapera community.
(Canva)