The
Snake Temple is situated in Sungai Kluang,
Bayan Lepas,
Penang,
Malaysia and is perhaps the only
temple of its kind in the world. The temple is filled with the smoke of burning
incense and a variety of
pit vipers. The
vipers are believed to be rendered harmless by the sacred smoke, but as a safety precaution, the
snakes have also been de-venomed but still have their
fangs intact. Visitors are warned against picking up the
reptiles and placing them on their bodies to take pictures. Local devotees believe the temple's snake population comes there of its own accord.