🇮🇳 Magic in India

273 entries from India, best known first, across 80 places of magic.

Tantra is an esoteric yogic tradition from the Indian subcontinent, initially within Shaivism and Shaktism, later in Buddhism and Vaishnavism. It views the body as divine and uses mantras and rituals to achieve spiritual goals like liberation or supernatural power.

Tantra means loom or weave in Sanskrit
It began in India around the 1st millennium CE
Mantras are central to tantric practice
Sexual practices are rare and restricted
Vajrayana Buddhism uses tantric ideas

Overview

Tantra developed in India around the middle of the first millennium CE. It began in Shaivism and Shaktism before spreading to Buddhism and Vaishnavism. The word means loom or weave, suggesting a system that interlaces different teachings. Practitioners see the human body as a reflection of the cosmos. They aim for union with the divine through complex cosmologies. This path is also called the Path of Mantra. It shares influences with Jainism, Taoism, and Shinto. Western views often wrongly link it to sex, but scholars say sexual practices are rare and restricted.

Practices and beliefs

Practitioners use mantras, rituals, and yoga to transform the self. Goals include siddhi, supernatural accomplishment, and kundalini ascent. Texts describe systems for worship and meditation. Deities, both male and female, are central to ritual worship. Magic, sorcery, and divination appear in these texts. The subtle body is mapped to cosmic elements. Geometric patterns called mandalas guide meditation. Initiation by a teacher is required for many advanced techniques.

Rites and charms

Rites focus on sādhanā, which includes initiation and daily practice. Puja, or ritual worship, honors deities and icons. Meditation helps awaken inner energy. Physical purification techniques cleanse the body and mind. Specific gestures and sounds assign meaning to sacred spaces. The house is swept and salt is thrown at the door in some folk contexts, though Tantra focuses more on internal transformation. These rites are said to protect against negative forces and aid spiritual progress.

Who practises

Tantrikas are adepts who follow specific tantric lineages. They undergo diksha, or initiation, to receive knowledge. Teachers guide students through complex practices. Scholars note that living traditions are often secretive. Ethnography of these groups remains scarce due to this secrecy. Practitioners view their path as a way to realize non-duality. They mix tantric elements with other religious aspects freely.

Regions and communities

Tantra spread across South and East Asia. In Tibet, it influenced Vajrayana Buddhism. Japan has Shingon Buddhism, which uses tantric ideas. China developed Esoteric Buddhism based on Indian tantras. Nepal has Newar Buddhist traditions with tantric roots. Southern Esoteric Buddhism parallels tantric ideas without direct reference. These regional variations show how the tradition adapted to local cultures while keeping core concepts.

The calendar

The text does not specify particular festivals or seasonal events for tantric rites. Practices are often tied to personal sadhana rather than public calendars. Life events may involve tantric rituals for protection or blessing. However, no detailed calendar of ceremonies is provided in the source material.

Law and the state

No information is given about legal status or persecution. The text mentions colonial-era definitions but not modern laws. Western scholarship historically labeled tantra as occult or secret. This was a construction by 19th-century Indologists. There is no mention of state treatment or witch-hunts in the provided article.

Today

Modern views often misrepresent tantra as erotic. Scholars work to correct this by studying texts and living traditions. Anthropological study is difficult due to the secretive nature of practitioners. Some researchers try to demystify the myth of secrecy. The tradition continues to influence Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain practices globally.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Tantra", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Market Oracle Sacred site Trial site or memorial School or museum Town known for a tradition Centre of practice

Places of magic in India

Ujjain 4 Varanasi 4 Delhi 3 Manipur 3 Gaya 2 Haridwar 2 Khajuraho 2 Mathura 2 Moirang 2 Tarapith 2 Thiruvananthapuram 2 West Bengal 2 Ahmedabad 1 Allahabad 1 Anand district 1 Anandpur Sahib 1 Arunachal Pradesh 1 Assam 1 Atla village 1 Bhedaghat 1 Bodh Gaya 1 Charkhi Dadri 1 Chaurasi 1 Chidambaram 1 Darasuram 1 Deo Sun Temple 1 Dharamsala 1 Dharanikota 1 Erode 1 Gangotri 1 Ghurni 1 Gorakhpur 1 Griddhraj Parvat 1 Gujarat 1 Guwahati 1 Hangal 1 Hastinapur 1 Hirapur 1 Jhusi 1 Jodhpur 1 Kalighat 1 Kamakhya 1 Kanpur 1 Kashmir 1 Kesariyaji Tirth 1 Kodungalloor 1 Kolkata 1 Kottarathil Bhagavati temple 1 Kulpakji Tirth 1 Kulu 1 Kumbakonam 1 Kurukshetra 1 Mahendra Mountains 1 Malabar Coast 1 Malliyor Temple 1 Mataoli 1 Mount Abu 1 Mount Girnar 1 Mount Potalaka 1 Mumbai 1 Nalanda 1 Nashik 1 Oddiyana 1 Omkareshvara Shiva temple 1 Palani Hills 1 Palitana Temples 1 Parkham 1 Patna 1 Prayagraj 1 Rameshwaram 1 Ranakpur Jain temple 1 Ranipur Jharial 1 Rewalsar Lake 1 Samye 1 Saraswati Mahal Library 1 Sikkim 1 Solapur 1 Taraknath Temple 1 Tara Tarini 1 Thanjavur 1

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAstrology A divinatory practice that reads human fate through the positions of celestial bodies.Belief · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 IndiaChakraचक्र Meditation points in the subtle body used in Hindu and Buddhist yogaTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 morePitru Pakshaपितृ पक्ष A sixteen-day Hindu period for honoring ancestors through food offerings and death ritesTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreHoliहोली A Hindu spring festival marked by coloured powders and bonfires to celebrate love and virtue.Tradition · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Living

🇮🇳 IndiaBhuta KolaBhūta Kōla A Tulu folk dance and ritual where spirits are channelled into human performersTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇸🇳 Senegal and 5 moreAncestor veneration Rituals of respect and offerings for the dead across many culturesTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇮🇳 IndiaPashupata Shaivismपाशुपत An early Hindu ascetic school focused on liberation through ritual and devotion to ShivaTradition · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇳 IndiaLeft-Hand and Right-Hand Paths Two distinct orientations in occult magic, dividing taboo-breaking from orthodoxy.Tradition · Change and initiation · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 IndiaAkshaya Tritiyaअक्षय तृतीया A Hindu and Jain spring festival marking a day of inexhaustible merit and new beginnings.Tradition · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreVotive offering Objects left in sacred places to honor a deity or fulfill a vow, never to be recovered.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇳 IndiaHindu astrologyज्योतिष (Jyotiṣa) A traditional Hindu system of astrology and timekeeping rooted in the VedasTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 India and 7 moreMakar Sankrantiमकरसङ्क्रान्ति A solar festival marking the sun's northward shift and the winter harvest across South Asia.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYoginiयोगिनी A female master of yoga and tantra, or a fierce goddess aspect in Indian temples.Tradition · Power and authority · Protection Historical

🇲🇬 Madagascar and 4 moreGeomancy A cross-cultural system of divination using earth, sand, and landforms to read the future or align spaces.Oracle · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKalachakraདུས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ། A Tibetan Buddhist tantric deity and system of yogic time cyclesTradition · Change and initiation · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreYantraयन्त्र A geometric diagram from Indian traditions used for worship and meditationTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKolamகோலம் A daily geometric floor drawing made with rice flour at the home entrance in South IndiaTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 IndiaMahakaleshwar JyotirlingaMahākāleśvara A sacred Shiva shrine in Ujjain, India, known for its south-facing idol and ancient origins.Tradition · Protection · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAshtamangalaअष्टमङ्गल A set of eight sacred symbols used in Indian religions to mark auspicious occasions and teach spiritual truths.Tradition · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreTantraतन्त्र An esoteric yogic tradition from India focusing on ritual, mantra, and body-based spiritual practices.Tradition · Power and authority · Change and initiation Living

🇮🇳 IndiaKavu Sacred forest patches in South India that protect local deities and wildlifeTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNavagrahaनवग्रह A group of nine celestial deities in Hinduism that govern fate and astrologyTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 IndiaKapalikaकापालिक A medieval Indian Shaivite ascetic order known for wearing skulls and transgressive ritualsTradition · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAncestor worship Rites of respect for the dead that maintain family bonds and seek spiritual guidanceTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDiyaदीया A small oil lamp used in prayers and festivals across the Indian subcontinentTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreDurga Pujaদুর্গাপূজা A ten-day autumn festival honouring the goddess Durga and her victory over evil.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreAstragalomancy Divination by casting marked bones, carved rods, or numbered diceOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNakshatraनक्षत्रम् (Nakṣatram) A system of lunar mansions used in Hindu and Buddhist astrology to map the sky.Tradition · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Living 🇮🇳 IndiaMuhurtamuhūrta A Hindu unit of time used to select auspicious moments for rituals and daily practiceBelief · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreShakta pithasशाक्त पीठ (Śākta Pīṭha) Sacred shrines in Shaktism marking where parts of the goddess Sati fell to earth.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 3 moreMaha Shivaratriमहाशिवरात्रि A Hindu night of fasting and vigil dedicated to the deity ShivaTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 IndiaKamakhya Templekamakhya mondir A Hindu temple in Assam known for its yoni shrine and the Ambubachi Mela festivalTradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 morePilgrimage A journey to a sacred site for spiritual growth or religious dutyTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAghoriअघोर An ascetic monastic order of Shaivite sadhus known for antinomian rituals in cremation groundsTradition · Healing · Change and initiation Living

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 1 moreKataragama templeකතරගම / கதிர்காமம் முருகன் கோயில் A Sri Lankan shrine shared by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and VeddasTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز A spring equinox festival marking the new year across Persianate culturesTradition · Luck and prosperity · Cleansing and purification Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreMandalaमण्डल A sacred geometric design used in Indian religions for meditation and spiritual mapping.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRangoliरंगोली Floor art made with coloured powders and flowers to welcome guests and deitiesTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNeotantraनवतन्त्र (navatantra) A Western movement blending Tantra with modern views on sacred sexualityTradition · Love and attraction · Change and initiation Living

🇮🇳 IndiaNadi astrologynāḍi jyotiṣa A Tamil astrological tradition using palm leaves to read past lives and future pathsTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Living

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAsian witchcraft A broad overview of magical practices and persecution across Asian culturesTradition · Cursing and harm · Protection Living

🇮🇳 IndiaVedic astrologyJyotiṣa A traditional Hindu system of astrology rooted in Vedic study and timekeepingTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇳 India and 3 moreAstrology A divinatory practice that links celestial positions to human affairs and earthly eventsTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇮🇳 IndiaVahanaवाहन The animal or mythical creature that carries a Hindu deityTradition · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 3 moreBrahma Kumarisप्रजापिता ब्रह्माकुमारी ईश्वरीय विश्वविद्यालय A meditation-based spiritual movement that teaches soul identity and global peaceTradition · Cleansing and purification · Change and initiation Living

🇬🇷 Greece and 3 moreExorcist A religious specialist who performs rites to remove alleged demonic possession from people or places.Tradition · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Living 🇮🇳 IndiaKeśin A Vedic hymn describing long-haired ascetics who travel on the wind and share a cup with Rudra.Tradition · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Kolam: mckaysavage, CC BY 2.0, source
Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kaula: Joshua Jonathan, CC0, source
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga: Ashverse, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chakra: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Ashtamangala: Redtigerxyz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Astrology: Wilfredor, CC0, source
Tantra: William Clark, Public domain, source
Kavu: Ashwin.appus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Navagraha: Kiran891, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nadi astrology: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " ARTiFACTS ", CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Ancestor worship: Lyn Gateley, CC BY 2.0, source
Baphomet: Eliphas Levi, Public domain, source
Diya: Suyash Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Durga Puja: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Astragalomancy: Roland zh, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nakshatra: Kishorekumar 62, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Shakta pithas: Abhishek Chandra, Public domain, source
Maha Shivaratri: Navneesh Ramessur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kamakhya Temple: JyotiPN, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pilgrimage: Ali Mansuri, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Aghori: Retratistadelsur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Exorcism: Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
Kataragama temple: Ghostface Buddha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Vahana: Unknown Nepali, Public domain, source
Brahma Kumaris: Tamasin Ramsey, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
Mandala: Marion Golsteijn, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rangoli: SreeramKalyan, CC0, source
Bhuta Kola: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Asian witchcraft: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, source
Ancestor veneration: Thang Nguyen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Akshaya Tritiya: Fgndgndgnr, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Votive offering: Walter J. Pilsak, Waldsassen ( W.J.Pilsak at de.wikipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Hindu astrology: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
Makar Sankranti: Saloni Desai, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vedic astrology: Freedomji, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Yogini: Soumendra Barik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Geomancy: Jacopo188, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kalachakra: Nabin K. Sapkota, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Yantra: Photo by Daniel Conrad (Chromacon), artwork by Daniel Conrad under dir, Public domain, source
Pitru Paksha: Firoz Shakir, CC BY-SA 3.0, source