Most of us might share the fear of scorpions but have you ever imagined an entire village where they are not scared of the venomous insect but actually embrace it annually in a unique festival? An extraordinary tradition from Kanduker village in Yadgir district in Karnataka celebrates scorpions. This unusual fair has gained much attention around the neighbourhood villages who eagerly flock to the village every year to witness the scorpion festivities.
The festival is marked on the auspicious day of Nag Panchami at the Kondammadevi Fair in Gurmitkal Taluk and transforms into a scorpion celebration. Participants in the festivities gather these arachnids by holding them on their hands and placing them on their chin and women here often pose with the scorpions as a maang tika. These scorpions are believed to be harmless and the locals believe that their stings lack venom.
They also claim that these scorpions seem to appear only on Nag Panchami day. As part of the custom, these scorpions are hidden under the stones of Kondamadugu Hill where the locals find them and play with them. The allure of this festival extends beyond the district and the state borders as it draws tourists from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
This tradition is not only followed in the Yadgir district but also in Kandukur village in the state. This ritual in the region is called Tella Panchami where people commemorate the day by playing with the scorpions. The devotees here offer milk to the scorpions and offer prayers to them.
After the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted by the state government, thousands of people visited the village to offer their prayers and witness the grand festivities on the day. The Karnataka government also made security arrangements to avoid any mishappening.
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