Hubballi: When humans make their advent into hitherto unexplored terrain, the first creatures to make a hasty exit are snakes. Not in Rangasamudra, a little hamlet in Hungund taluk of Bagalkote district, which wears a deserted look with the people vanishing after many lost their lives to snake bites!
The snakes and stone idols representing the snake gods are found in abundance here. More than 200 families lived in Rangasamudra two decades ago doing farming. They now return to the village only during Nag Panchami (being celebrated on Thursday) to worship the idols and ward off the 'curse' of the snake god.
And why did the snakes go on a killing spree scaring the wits out of the populace? Natives blame it on the cruel antics of a few miscreants, who killed snakes after seeing them entering their houses. Soon, many died of snake bite and the superstitious villagers fled the place.
They aver that they will return only if the government builds proper houses for them under the Ashraya scheme. And maybe save them from the snakes.
