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.
Places of magic
Ujjain 4Varanasi 4Delhi 3Manipur 3Gaya 2Haridwar 2Khajuraho 2Knossos 2Mathura 2Moirang 2Sehwan 2Tarapith 2Thiruvananthapuram 2West Bengal 2Ahmedabad 1Allahabad 1Anand district 1Anandpur Sahib 1Angkor Thom 1Angkor Wat 1Artigas 1Arun Valley Region 1Atla village 1Batu Caves 1Bhedaghat 1Bodh Gaya 1Bukkur 1Bungamati 1Canary Islands 1Chandradwip 1
Rites of the region
Nimbu-mirchi and nazar utarnaThe kajal dot on a childConsecrating a yantraTheyyamBhuta KolaKolam at the thresholdNavagraha shanti
Countries
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 1 moreApu
Sacred mountain spirits in Andean tradition that protect communities and control natural resourcesBeing 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreGanesha啶椸ぃ啷囙ざ (Ga峁噀艣a)
An elephant-headed Hindu deity worshipped as the remover of obstacles and patron of wisdom.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 3 moreDragon's blood
A bright red resin from several plant species used in magic, medicine, and art since antiquitySubstance 路 Healing 路 Protection Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 morePilgrimage
A journey to a sacred site for spiritual growth or religious dutyTradition 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚠馃嚦 IndiaPanchagavya
A fermented mixture of five cow products used in Hindu rituals and Ayurvedic traditions.Substance 路 Cleansing and purification 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 1 moreHeliotrope
A green and red mineral stone used as an amulet for health, invisibility, and courage.Charm 路 Protection 路 Healing Historical
馃嚠馃嚦 IndiaApeswari sabha
An Assamese healing rite where village women invoke a goddess to cure illnessRite 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 2 moreSuperstitions in Muslim societies
Beliefs in supernatural forces and charms found across the Islamic worldTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 1 moreVarahi啶掂ぞ啶班ぞ啶灌 (V膩r膩h墨)
A Hindu mother goddess with a sow face, worshipped in Tantric rites for protection and powerBeing 路 Protection 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreNavaratna啶ㄠさ啶班い啷嵿え
A nine-gem talisman set in gold or silver, linked to Hindu astrology and planetary worshipCharm 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Heliotrope: Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ganesha: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Dragon's blood: Andy Dingley, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pilgrimage: Ali Mansuri, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Vahana: Unknown Nepali, Public domain, source
- Navaratna: Pradeep717, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Superstitions in Muslim societies: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Apu: Cecilia Sacsa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source