A snake, a deer and Varanasi

Day 3 in Varanasi and I held a snake in my hand. Probably I'm not as much of a daredevil as though I was that day. After all, I was aware the snake's poison glands were removed and the snake charmer was right next to me. We hadn't been to the ghats on days 1 and 2. We roamed around in the city on day 1 and I slept on day 2. Day 3 was when we were to meet our tutors and begin work. We were all casually walking along the ghats when a snake charmer caught my eye. He offered to let me hold his snake in my hand, and I took him up on his offer. I for sure felt like a daredevil for a second and extremely stupid the next, because this guy asked me to pay him. I should have realized, nothing is free after all. I paid him Rs. 50. I mean I had to.

It is not every day that you meet a snake charmer while strolling. Or a lady selling a kasturi or deer musk. Deer musk is a substance with a persistent odor, obtained from the caudal glands of the male musk deer. (Caudal glands lie in a sac located between the genitals and umbilicus and the scent of the gland is used to attract mates). I didn't know what kasturi was. The lady gave me a furry ball to hold. She also rubbed it on the sleeves of my sweatshirt. It had a very sweet odor. Later when I asked her what the ball in my hand is, she very casually replied that it's a deer's navel. Like it's the most common thing in the world. It might be normal for her, but not for me. I dropped it immediately. She said she'll sell it to me at a very cheap price. However, I was in no mood to buy a deer's navel. I don't think I ever will be. I'm no animal rights activist, but I do feel it's cruel. She told me kasturi has a persistent odor, and it did. My sleeves had a sweet odor till the end of the day.

I don't know if the stuff she's selling were authentic, but they sure seemed intriguing to us.

So, on my third in Varanasi, I held both a snake and a deer's navel in my hand. Varanasi is not an everyday place. It's a place that has its own charm. A charm I'm sure I can't explain. A charm I thought was strange. Strange in a beautiful way.


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