CHETU AND HIS NAG DEVTA
Residents of village Ladori had hardly any source of entertainment in those old days except for occasional dramas and variety shows staged by the Ladori Dramatic Club and taking out colorful processions of deities on Holi or Diwali festivals, in locally made chariots driven by animals and palanquins carried by the volunteers of the Club.
Annual ceremonial parades and sports events, organized by the then High School, Ladori on National Days used to be the main attraction and source of entertainment where people enjoyed the perfect show of the mastery over the sports events like Football, Volleyball and Kabaddi by our village heroes like Bakshish Singh, Rathwan Singh, Balwant Singh, Gorakh Nath and so on. Wherever Ladori School Team went to participate in friendly tournaments, they created tehalka in the minds of the rival teams in the district. Our school team brought laurels to the village and the school, many a times.
Yearly customary melas and chhinjh in the village and the adjoining villages have had their own charm to attract more and more people to have fun and frolic and for shopping of variety of fruits and eatables and also local novelties. Children were specially happy and enthusiastic during mela season as they were allowed to go away from home, in groups, in their newly made colorful attires and footwears. While coming back home from the melas, every child, big or small, carried a number of articles like gangoju, colorful spectacles made of paper and rubber strap, whistles, yo yo, caps and hats, balls, other plastic sports items and also fruits and sweets.
Seasonal village games like Attar-Pattar, Luka-Chhipi, Chitti-Tapu, Panj Gitra, Haal-Haal, Pithu, Loon-Loon, Gilli-Danda, Korda-Chapaki and other such local indoor/outdoor games were both enjoyable and exercise oriented and the kids enjoyed these games fully everyday until late evenings. Playing cards by children was, however, considered as bad as gambling. But now, these old time games are the things of the past except Chitti-Tapu which seems to have taken its present form as Stapu which is still favorite amongst modern day kids in the small towns and the country side.
Occasional visit by touring troupe from Rajasthan, entertained the residents of the area with the rare Putli Dance shows. Chetu, the snake charmer, was a strong and sturdy built, six feet tall, muscular man of talkative and jolly nature. His shining dark-brown complexion attracted people passing by him. He used to wear Rajasthani type colorfully designed printed Safa which always remained tilted over his right ear. Long tail of the Safa hanging downwards, on the back up to his waist, gave a majestic look.
Annual ceremonial parades and sports events, organized by the then High School, Ladori on National Days used to be the main attraction and source of entertainment where people enjoyed the perfect show of the mastery over the sports events like Football, Volleyball and Kabaddi by our village heroes like Bakshish Singh, Rathwan Singh, Balwant Singh, Gorakh Nath and so on. Wherever Ladori School Team went to participate in friendly tournaments, they created tehalka in the minds of the rival teams in the district. Our school team brought laurels to the village and the school, many a times.
Yearly customary melas and chhinjh in the village and the adjoining villages have had their own charm to attract more and more people to have fun and frolic and for shopping of variety of fruits and eatables and also local novelties. Children were specially happy and enthusiastic during mela season as they were allowed to go away from home, in groups, in their newly made colorful attires and footwears. While coming back home from the melas, every child, big or small, carried a number of articles like gangoju, colorful spectacles made of paper and rubber strap, whistles, yo yo, caps and hats, balls, other plastic sports items and also fruits and sweets.
Seasonal village games like Attar-Pattar, Luka-Chhipi, Chitti-Tapu, Panj Gitra, Haal-Haal, Pithu, Loon-Loon, Gilli-Danda, Korda-Chapaki and other such local indoor/outdoor games were both enjoyable and exercise oriented and the kids enjoyed these games fully everyday until late evenings. Playing cards by children was, however, considered as bad as gambling. But now, these old time games are the things of the past except Chitti-Tapu which seems to have taken its present form as Stapu which is still favorite amongst modern day kids in the small towns and the country side.
Occasional visit by touring troupe from Rajasthan, entertained the residents of the area with the rare Putli Dance shows. Chetu, the snake charmer, was a strong and sturdy built, six feet tall, muscular man of talkative and jolly nature. His shining dark-brown complexion attracted people passing by him. He used to wear Rajasthani type colorfully designed printed Safa which always remained tilted over his right ear. Long tail of the Safa hanging downwards, on the back up to his waist, gave a majestic look.
Chetu used to wear second hand westerly designed surge coat with large flappy collars and with many pockets, in winters, colorful designer long kurta and chooridar during summer. Colorful dhoti up to knees matching with safa presented more attractive look. Chetu's jutti was usually made of pure leather and enriched with mustered oil for smoothness. Its long nose strap turned around backwards. Embedded with small white shells at the back of jutti's heals and capped heavy nails on the sole, jutti gave a graceful look and musical sound while stepping.
A small size flower like reddish round bud, made of wool strands, was tucked in the center of upper back side of pair of jutti, added glamour in Chetu's dress code. His embroidered kurta was also unique in design and cut style. A number of colorful stone bead malas of different shapes and sizes along with one Rudraksh one, impressed the onlookers. A light weight silky floral yellow scarf tied around the neck looked so good. Maharana Pratap style moustaches, reddish eyes with flowing out eyelashes under huge dense black eyebrows, while teeth and kum -kum tilak applied on the forehead, golden ear rings, three silver rings on left hand and a heavy silver anklet, gave an impression of Chetu like a great magician!
To charm snakes, a beautifully designed, crafted and embedded with various types and shapes of colorful stones and glittering glass pieces, Chetu's Been enthralled the gathering with its melodious tune, on which his cobra naag danced side by side.
As per Chetu's version, he had a prize possession. A naagmani kept safely and securely in a small handy brass box smeared in sindhoor. Chetu would boast before gathering proudly about the characteristics, qualities and reputation of so called naagmani which sucks out the snake poison. Actually, there is no such thing like naagmani. Naagmani's immediate affects are generally told or are available in lok kathas or in fairy tales.
Chetu is also a religious man and used to perform Naag Puja everyday morning before leaving for work. Naag and all other kinds of snakes are considered sacred and worshiped in Hindu culture. One cannot imagine Lord Shiva Temple without a naag as one cannot imagine Shiva Temple without Nandi. Snakes are not our enemy but friends of human race. They are environment friendly and friends of farmers. They never attack first. They do so only when disturbed or threatened. Naag Panchami is naag puja day which is celebrated all over the country with great devotion.
Chetu came forward every now and then to show up his cobra naag to the assembly of people, dancing to the tune of his been. People admired Chetu's skills with which he handled the cobra with his been and stick. While some threw coins to the cobra, others ran fast fetching some milk for the naag though it never drank their milk. The show would last for an hour at the most. Chetu, with his young assistant, would collect the coins spread around and put his snake back in the basket and is gone with his potli thrown over his shoulder, waiving his hand in a promise to come back again!
To charm snakes, a beautifully designed, crafted and embedded with various types and shapes of colorful stones and glittering glass pieces, Chetu's Been enthralled the gathering with its melodious tune, on which his cobra naag danced side by side.
As per Chetu's version, he had a prize possession. A naagmani kept safely and securely in a small handy brass box smeared in sindhoor. Chetu would boast before gathering proudly about the characteristics, qualities and reputation of so called naagmani which sucks out the snake poison. Actually, there is no such thing like naagmani. Naagmani's immediate affects are generally told or are available in lok kathas or in fairy tales.
Chetu is also a religious man and used to perform Naag Puja everyday morning before leaving for work. Naag and all other kinds of snakes are considered sacred and worshiped in Hindu culture. One cannot imagine Lord Shiva Temple without a naag as one cannot imagine Shiva Temple without Nandi. Snakes are not our enemy but friends of human race. They are environment friendly and friends of farmers. They never attack first. They do so only when disturbed or threatened. Naag Panchami is naag puja day which is celebrated all over the country with great devotion.
Chetu came forward every now and then to show up his cobra naag to the assembly of people, dancing to the tune of his been. People admired Chetu's skills with which he handled the cobra with his been and stick. While some threw coins to the cobra, others ran fast fetching some milk for the naag though it never drank their milk. The show would last for an hour at the most. Chetu, with his young assistant, would collect the coins spread around and put his snake back in the basket and is gone with his potli thrown over his shoulder, waiving his hand in a promise to come back again!
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