A boy and a snake

Living a charmed life... Two-year-old Indian plays with cobra in the street as he learns the family business from his grandfather.

These pictures, which will be shocking to many  parents, show the dying tradition of snake charming in rural India.For centuries, the charmers have enjoyed a celebrated place in the country's history. 

The hypnotic tunes they played to enchant snakes to dance have not only captured the imagination of Indians, but people around the world.