As told by- The Pole
In early 1960’s, it was a rare household that possessed a television. Most of these wonders were available to schools or other such institutions. The transmission was a total monopoly of the Delhi- Doordarshan that had a limited period of one hour, covering news and other matters of great national importance like agriculture, defense, speeches by the national leaders etc. Though fascinating, but rather monotonous after a while, for energetic younger lot that watched even the pre transmission rainy screen. They were totally updated on the agricultural techniques, the defense strategies and the political situation. But surely a healthy mind needed more diverse entertaining inputs to keep it occupied. In such a scenario, snake charmers, puppeteers and other such performers provided the necessary diversion. And the best part was – it was a live entertainment. The performer and the audiences participated in a close physical proximity in those days. Nothing like the canned, rehearsed and informal performance they call entertainment nowadays. And to top it all, these entertainers had no ego hassles about performing in a back yard or a garden. Between the jugglers, puppeteer, acrobats, magician and other such individuals, the snake charmer held most fascination for the young and old alike.
Most snake charmers brought an assortment of snakes in two small covered flat baskets that were hung from either side of a bamboo pole. The charmer carried this pole on his left shoulder, with the baskets dangling from either side. He also carried a special wind instrument with a rather unique sound that he played with expertise, attracting people to his act. This instrument was played with much movement of the head making the snakes imitate the same. Thus the charmer’s show of dancing snakes progressed slowly and steadily, wherever he managed to collect a decent crowd.
Sometimes all these time consuming movements of head shaking and piped music was too much for our young and fidgety six viewers namely Purja & co, the regular patrons of all indigenous entertainers. Tired of sitting cross- legged, on the hard ground, for extended periods waiting to see the deadliest of the snakes that the charmer kept as a piece de resistance, they waited restlessly for the uncovering of the contents of the second basket. But the charmer wasted precious time playing his music and shaking his head at the snakes in the first one.
“He loves showing off. Why can’t he show us the cobra and a python without all this musical fuss. I am tired of all the head shaking. Even my bums are hurting, what with sitting on the ground. I am also hungry. I am sure all of you feel the same.” Gassy was rather partial to his in between meals, snacks. They all agreed. Being the eldest, he demanded unchallenged assent. Only little Pints, was exempted from this cousinly protocol.
So once, a very restless but innovative Purja, egged on by Gassy, took liberty of opening the lid of the second basket with a long stick while the snake charmer was busy with his act with the residents of the first one. To his utter horror and others too, he saw a couple of long awaited deadly snakes slither out and find new residence among various bushes and trees of his garden.
Of course, what followed was a lesson in emergency evacuation procedure. A pity though, it was not recorded. The snake charmer engrossed in his music, opened his eyes to find his audiences, vanished in thin air. Confused, he looked around. The mystery was solved soon enough when he saw Gassy, Sesa and Gira huddled atop a boundary wall. Gira stood on toe tips, logic being; exposure of lesser climbing territory to the slimy reptiles. Gassy had an anemic looking stick in his hand that he was hitting on the wall repeatedly, trying to ward off any snake planning a meal of him while Sesa tried stopping him from making such a ruckus thereby attracting the reptilian attention. Goltu followed by little Pints had climbed up on the watchman’s shoulders and this shoulder sanctuary stood in the middle of a verandah anxiously looking around for any slithering signs.
Meanwhile, Purja had, promptly climbed up a tree, not realizing that the snakes were born tree climbers. It was only after he decoded the massage hidden in the game ‘snakes and ladders’, that he jumped directly on top of the snake charmer whom he considered to be most snake- free at that moment. Only, the charmer was not charmed by this rain of panic stricken Purjas. With a knocked off turban in hand, he shoved Purja off his aching back. Cursing, he vowed never to return, mumbling that he would rather live. He also threatened to infest their compound with snakes.
“Stop laughing. I will leave poisonous snakes in your compound and then I will see who laughs. Showing me, your dirty teeth eh? Jumping on me from the tree? I would never come again even if you gave me a hundred Rupees. Poking my pets with a pole? chhi!” He went on and on.
Purja’s parents had to pay a hefty sum to an extremely cross charmer to charm out his pets from their property. And with smarting ears, our friend sat in the corner, thinking about the purpose of his life.
“I am sure he was scared enough to keep away from all such heroic deeds for a while. Snakes, give me creeps.” Commented a rather vain new glass table. It was rather proud of its smooth shiny transparent surface. It wouldn’t have tolerated ‘climbing children’.
“ I am not too sure about that. Remember rope, what all Gira and Purja tried doing after the circus. Why don’t you tell them about the circus hangover? Requested the pole looking at a piled up rope.
In early 1960’s, it was a rare household that possessed a television. Most of these wonders were available to schools or other such institutions. The transmission was a total monopoly of the Delhi- Doordarshan that had a limited period of one hour, covering news and other matters of great national importance like agriculture, defense, speeches by the national leaders etc. Though fascinating, but rather monotonous after a while, for energetic younger lot that watched even the pre transmission rainy screen. They were totally updated on the agricultural techniques, the defense strategies and the political situation. But surely a healthy mind needed more diverse entertaining inputs to keep it occupied. In such a scenario, snake charmers, puppeteers and other such performers provided the necessary diversion. And the best part was – it was a live entertainment. The performer and the audiences participated in a close physical proximity in those days. Nothing like the canned, rehearsed and informal performance they call entertainment nowadays. And to top it all, these entertainers had no ego hassles about performing in a back yard or a garden. Between the jugglers, puppeteer, acrobats, magician and other such individuals, the snake charmer held most fascination for the young and old alike.
Most snake charmers brought an assortment of snakes in two small covered flat baskets that were hung from either side of a bamboo pole. The charmer carried this pole on his left shoulder, with the baskets dangling from either side. He also carried a special wind instrument with a rather unique sound that he played with expertise, attracting people to his act. This instrument was played with much movement of the head making the snakes imitate the same. Thus the charmer’s show of dancing snakes progressed slowly and steadily, wherever he managed to collect a decent crowd.
Sometimes all these time consuming movements of head shaking and piped music was too much for our young and fidgety six viewers namely Purja & co, the regular patrons of all indigenous entertainers. Tired of sitting cross- legged, on the hard ground, for extended periods waiting to see the deadliest of the snakes that the charmer kept as a piece de resistance, they waited restlessly for the uncovering of the contents of the second basket. But the charmer wasted precious time playing his music and shaking his head at the snakes in the first one.
“He loves showing off. Why can’t he show us the cobra and a python without all this musical fuss. I am tired of all the head shaking. Even my bums are hurting, what with sitting on the ground. I am also hungry. I am sure all of you feel the same.” Gassy was rather partial to his in between meals, snacks. They all agreed. Being the eldest, he demanded unchallenged assent. Only little Pints, was exempted from this cousinly protocol.
So once, a very restless but innovative Purja, egged on by Gassy, took liberty of opening the lid of the second basket with a long stick while the snake charmer was busy with his act with the residents of the first one. To his utter horror and others too, he saw a couple of long awaited deadly snakes slither out and find new residence among various bushes and trees of his garden.
Of course, what followed was a lesson in emergency evacuation procedure. A pity though, it was not recorded. The snake charmer engrossed in his music, opened his eyes to find his audiences, vanished in thin air. Confused, he looked around. The mystery was solved soon enough when he saw Gassy, Sesa and Gira huddled atop a boundary wall. Gira stood on toe tips, logic being; exposure of lesser climbing territory to the slimy reptiles. Gassy had an anemic looking stick in his hand that he was hitting on the wall repeatedly, trying to ward off any snake planning a meal of him while Sesa tried stopping him from making such a ruckus thereby attracting the reptilian attention. Goltu followed by little Pints had climbed up on the watchman’s shoulders and this shoulder sanctuary stood in the middle of a verandah anxiously looking around for any slithering signs.
Meanwhile, Purja had, promptly climbed up a tree, not realizing that the snakes were born tree climbers. It was only after he decoded the massage hidden in the game ‘snakes and ladders’, that he jumped directly on top of the snake charmer whom he considered to be most snake- free at that moment. Only, the charmer was not charmed by this rain of panic stricken Purjas. With a knocked off turban in hand, he shoved Purja off his aching back. Cursing, he vowed never to return, mumbling that he would rather live. He also threatened to infest their compound with snakes.
“Stop laughing. I will leave poisonous snakes in your compound and then I will see who laughs. Showing me, your dirty teeth eh? Jumping on me from the tree? I would never come again even if you gave me a hundred Rupees. Poking my pets with a pole? chhi!” He went on and on.
Purja’s parents had to pay a hefty sum to an extremely cross charmer to charm out his pets from their property. And with smarting ears, our friend sat in the corner, thinking about the purpose of his life.
“I am sure he was scared enough to keep away from all such heroic deeds for a while. Snakes, give me creeps.” Commented a rather vain new glass table. It was rather proud of its smooth shiny transparent surface. It wouldn’t have tolerated ‘climbing children’.
“ I am not too sure about that. Remember rope, what all Gira and Purja tried doing after the circus. Why don’t you tell them about the circus hangover? Requested the pole looking at a piled up rope.
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