Magic in South Asia

Mantra, yantra and tantra, the lemon and chillies hung against the evil eye, astrology, and temple healers and exorcists. 201 entries on EveryJaadu so far.

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

🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreMatsyendranathMacchindranāth, Mīnanātha A yogi and rain deity revered across Hindu and Buddhist traditions in South Asia.Figure · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGorakhnathगोरक्षनाथ A Hindu yogi and saint who founded the Nath monastic order in India.Figure · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 IndiaNaropa An Indian Buddhist master whose teachings shaped Tibetan Vajrayana practiceFigure · Change and initiation Historical

🇮🇳 India and 2 morePadmasambhavaཔདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས། A tantric master credited with establishing Buddhism in Tibet and founding the Nyingma school.Figure · Protection · Power and authority Living

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreTilopa A tenth-century Buddhist tantric master who transmitted Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa.Figure · Change and initiation · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇳 IndiaBamakhepaবামাখ্যাপা A Bengali Hindu saint known for his devotion to Goddess Tara and meditation in cremation grounds.Figure · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreLal Shahbaz Qalandarلعل شهباز قلندر A Sufi saint and poet revered in South Asia, especially among the Sindhi people.Figure · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 IndiaQutbقطب A Sufi spiritual leader who acts as the unseen axis of a cosmic hierarchy.Figure · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇳 IndiaEpic cycles of incarnations in MoirangMoirang Shayon A Meitei mythic cycle tracing the repeated lives and deaths of divine lovers across generations.Figure · Love and attraction Historical

Photo credits on this page

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

Matsyendranath: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Gorakhnath: Anandanath, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Naropa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Padmasambhava: John Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tilopa: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Bamakhepa: Pinakpani, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar: Fassifarooq, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Yogini: Soumendra Barik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Epic cycles of incarnations in Moirang: Bhudro Singh (AKA. Ningthoujam Bhadra), Public domain, source

Magic in South Asia

Places of magic

Rites of the region

Countries

Photo credits on this page

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