Bhubaneswar: Members of a family were startled to discover a snake curled up inside a centuries-old wooden chest in their house located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
Sources said the snake was found inside over 300-year-old wooden preserved over seven generations in the house of Parikshit Pathi at Kalarahanga village on the outskirts of the capital city.
After spotting the snake on Thursday, the family members immediately shut the box without disturbing the reptile. The discovery prompted a swift rescue operation by the Sake Helpline members, who were contacted immediately by the family of Pathi.
Snake rescuer Purnachandra Das visited the house and successfully retrieved the three-foot-long non-venomous snake. After its safe rescue, the snake was released into a suitable natural habitat far from human settlements, ensuring both the reptile’s safety and that of the local community.
Parikshit explained that the chest had been passed down for generations and is likely around three centuries old. Though old tales and folklore suggest that snakes guard treasure-laden chests, there was no valuable item in the box.
Snake Helpline General Secretary Subhendu Mallik said there’s a belief that snakes guard chests filled with gold or silver. While such myths exist, in this case, the chest contained other articles. Probably a rat or other small animal had previously made a hole in the wooden trunk, creating a passage through which the snake entered, he said.
Interestingly, the incident brings to mind the popular lore surrounding the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is also associated with tales of snakes. Mallik noted that due to such beliefs, the Snake Helpline team had also been present outside the temple during recent inspections, but there was no need to enter the structure.
