Reptile & Amphibian Forums

MORUNG EXPRESS (Kohima?, India) 16 August 08 Teenage girl to marry Serpent at Baghty, Wokha
Kohima: Believe it or not, rumors are awash that a 15 years old Adivasi girl is scheduled to marry a serpent, in Baghty, under Wokha district at midnight today. This has triggered huge curiosity among different sections of the society.
According to the talks, the maid who is said to be a daughter of a “haluwa” working in the field of Lakhoti villagers, was born and brought up in Baghty. She reportedly met the “groom” snake while she was on her way to the field and fall in love with the reptile. It was said that the girl sees the serpent as a young handsome man while others see it only as big snake. The reptile is said to frequently visit the girl and sleep with her in the night.
After the “marriage proposal” was struck, the girl is said to have reported the matter to her family members who strongly objected and threatened to kill the serpent. The girl however pleaded that the serpent too had a ‘family with father and mother’.
As directed by the snake, a stage was designed and reception planned out. It was also said that the serpent has ‘sent an open invitation’ for whoever want to take part in the marriage ceremony and the reception provided with a condition that they should not come with ill-motives or intentions.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Hindu community is supposedly ‘very happy’ with the news as they believe that ‘such things happens once in 100 years’. Sources also informed that Hindu priests have arrived to conduct the ceremony. Curious with the news, several people from different parts of the neighbouring places including, Wokha, Doyang areas, Lakhuti, Bhandari, Sanis and also from neighbouring Assam sides are streaming into the area to witness the unnatural wedding ceremony.
The district administration when contacted admitted to have heard the ‘loose talks’ doing the rounds and also that some people are going even from Wokha down to Baghty to witness the same. However, till the filing of this report, the district administration coukd not confirm the reports.
Teenage girl to marry Serpent

MORUNG EXPRESS (Kohima?, India) 18 August 08 Much hyped girl-and-snake marriage off
Kohima: Huge disappointment for thousands of people from far and near who gathered at Baghty in Wokha to witness a marriage between an Adivasi girl and a serpent scheduled last midnight: the seemingly marriage-phobic serpent ‘didn’t turn’ up to marry his would-be-bride.
A large crowed numbering around 1000-2000 from different parts of Nagaland and neighboring Assam had gathered at Baghty where a ‘pandal’ along with drums was set up to usher the serpent to the ceremony. The crowd along with the teenage girl, her father and priests who came to perform the ‘puja’ (ritual) waited in futile till 1 am today but the reportedly large Serpent, expected to have come “in white colour accompanied by a smaller serpent” failed to turn up.
The girl and her father tried to reason that the large crowed gathering at the ceremony is the cause of the ‘failure for the snake to turn up’. However, the crowd who decided to forgo the discomfort of the night and spent so much money, time and energy to reach Baghty from far and near to witness the ceremony reportedly started to seem agitated and threatened to harm the girl and her father.
Police later intervened and took both the teenager and her father under protective custody and taken to Bhandari Police Station. Confirming the report Superintendent of Police of Wokha, Imli Sunep said the Adivasi father and daughter hails from a village in Assam and the police are trying to ascertain and locate their village so they can be deported safely.
He however said that further investigation is on. SP Sunep also clarified that as per the report he received, the programme was not for marriage but a practiced ritual of ‘making friendship’.
The report said that the ritual was called “Sathi” and not “Sadhi” which must have created the ‘misunderstanding and rumors’, he said. It may be mentioned that rumors started milling around yesterday that an Adivasi teenager girl who works and lives in a field along with her father in Baghty under Wokha district, was going to marry a snake at midnight last.
Much hyped girl-and-snake marriage off