Magic in South Asia
Mantra, yantra and tantra, the lemon and chillies hung against the evil eye, astrology, and temple healers and exorcists. 218 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
North Malabar 4Ujjain 4Varanasi 4Delhi 3Kannur 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 1Bhaguda 1Bhedaghat 1Bhimrana 1Bodh Gaya 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
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreApu
Sacred mountain spirits in Andean tradition that protect communities and control natural resourcesBeing · Protection · Healing 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
🇮🇳 IndiaTheyyam
A ritual dance from Kerala where performers embody deities through elaborate costume and songRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living
🇮🇳 IndiaKamakhya Templekamakhya mondir
A Hindu temple in Assam known for its yoni shrine and the Ambubachi Mela festivalTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇮🇳 IndiaPili Yesaಪಿಲಿವೇಷ
A coastal Karnataka folk dance where performers paint themselves as tigers to honour the Goddess DurgaIllusion · Protection · Power and authority 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
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAsian witchcraft
A broad overview of magical practices and persecution across Asian culturesTradition · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇮🇳 IndiaUchitta Bhagavathyഉച്ചിട്ട ഭഗവതി
A North Malabar goddess of fire and childbirth, performed as TheyyamBeing · Protection · Healing Living
🇳🇵 Nepal and 3 moreGurung ShamanismTamu Cho
The ancient shamanic beliefs and rituals of the Gurung people in NepalTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreKiratism
The indigenous animist and shamanic religion of the Kirati peoples in Nepal and IndiaTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreSuperstitions in Muslim societies
Beliefs in supernatural forces and charms found across the Islamic worldTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇵🇪 Peru and 2 moreTsentsak
Invisible darts used by Amazonian shamans for healing and sorcerySubstance · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇮🇳 IndiaKadangot Makkam
A North Malabar goddess who became a deity after being killed by her brothers.Being · Protection · Love and attraction Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Kadangot Makkam: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Theyyam: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kamakhya Temple: JyotiPN, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pili Yesa: Premnath Kudva, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kataragama temple: Ghostface Buddha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kiratism: TheDreamSky ( talk ), CC BY 3.0, source
- Superstitions in Muslim societies: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Bhuta Kola: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Asian witchcraft: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, source
- Apu: Cecilia Sacsa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tsentsak: Veton PICQ, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Uchitta Bhagavathy: Sreejith K ( talk ), CC BY 3.0, source