Shirala

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Also known as Battis Shirala, Shirala is a small town 60 kilometers west of Sangli in Maharashtra, India.

[edit] Snake Festival

Shirala is famous for its ‘Naag-Panchami’ - Festival of Snakes, an annual festival attended by hundreds of thousands people all across the world.

A few days before the actual festival, villagers (including children) hunt for snakes in the nearby areas in groups of 5-10. Snakes (including the poisonous Indian King Cobra) are traced from their body marks in soil. The ground is dug very carefully and the snakes are captured very carefully. Hundreds of hours spent in searching produce 7-8 snakes per group if they are lucky enough.

On the actual day of the festival, the snakes are taken in a huge procession. The procession begins with the blessings of village-goddess Amba-bai. Nearly 70-80 groups and organizations take part in the procession.

[edit] Transportation

Shirala is about 220 miles from Mumbai. State transport and private buses daily run between Mumbai and Shirala. It is advisable to stay at Kolhapur, the nearest city, which is 25 miles away and well-connected to Shirala. Kolhapur is connected to Mumbai through daily flights and trains.