CANACONA
Showcasing the rich traditional ancient practices, an artefact 'Saap-Kathi' which is believed to ward off snakes from houses was gifted to Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai during his Goa Sampurna Yatra to Poinguinim village on Wednesday.Poinguinim Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Chairman Subhash Mahale presented the 'Saap-Kathi', a magical wand when kept inside the house is believed to keep snakes away, to Governor Pillai soon after his interaction with the four panchayat members.
The ‘Saap-Kathi' is a traditional artefact prepared by Chari clan (Mest) of Poinguinim (Mahalawada), Loliem village (Idhar) and Gaondongrim (Kudewada) from a plant called Pandhare found in the forests of Khotigao and Gaondongrim.
Many households keep the ‘Saap-Kathi' hanging on a wall inside their houses to keep snakes away.
“This is an artefact of Canacona and especially of Poinginnim, where people are known to use it in their homes as to shield themselves from snakes. It is believed that if we keep it in our homes, snakes don’t enter our houses,” Mahale informed the governor.
