Kasaragod: A snake found dead after apparently being run over by a vehicle on the busy Kumbla-Badiadka road was given a ritualistic cremation by residents. They covered the carcass, called in priests to perform the prescribed rites and cremated it with sandalwood.

And the rituals are not over yet. Residents are now planning to travel to Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka, around two hours from Kasaragod, to perform further rites after the 'sarpa samskara' conducted in Kumbla.

The unusual sequence unfolded after the snake was found dead at the Kumbla-Badiadka bus stop, in front of the District Cooperative Hospital, on Sunday.

The news spread among residents, who tried to contact those familiar with the traditional rituals associated with the death of a serpent. Around 1.15 pm on Monday, Ramathara, a resident, called Ajith Kumar K, the Kumbla panchayat member from Mujamgavu ward, and asked him to make arrangements to perform the rituals.

Ajith, a BJP member who works as an auto-rickshaw driver, then contacted the ritual specialists from the Brahmin community. He also reached the spot and covered the carcass. "By around 3.15 pm, the Brahmins arrived and took charge of the rites," Ajith Kumar said.

'We cannot simply leave it there’
For Ajith and the other believers involved, the decision was rooted in religious tradition.

They believe that when a serpent associated with the deity is found dead, it should not simply be discarded. Instead, funeral rites similar to those performed for a person should be conducted. The belief is linked to the traditional association of serpents with the divine and serpent worship practised in the region.

He said people were initially reluctant to approach the snake and that those familiar with the rituals had to be brought in to handle it. No photographs were taken during the cremation, Ajith said, as the people involved believed that the ritual should not be photographed.

From Kumbla to Kukke
The cremation in Kumbla, however, is only the first part of what the residents believe is necessary. Ajith said the group plans to travel to Kukke Subrahmanya, a prominent serpent-worship temple in Karnataka, to complete the remaining rituals. The journey from Kasaragod takes roughly two hours by road.

At the Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Lord Subrahmanya -- identified with Kartikeya or Murugan -- is worshipped as the lord of serpents. The residents plan to stay there for three days and perform the remaining rituals after the sarpa samskara, said Ajith Kumar. He said the person taking responsibility for the rituals has to observe a period of vratham, or ritual observance, for around 12 days. He has offered to undertake the observance himself.

The additional rituals are expected to cost around ₹25,000, he said, with residents, including a nearby restaurant owner and its employees, and people from other commercial establishments offering to help cover the expenses.