Evil Eye in South Asian Practices

BY NICOLE LAU

South Asian evil eye traditions—known as nazar, drishti, or buri nazar—permeate daily life across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. These practices blend ancient Vedic wisdom, Islamic influence, folk traditions, and regional variations into a rich tapestry of protective rituals that address both spiritual and social dimensions of envy and harm.

Indian Traditions: Drishti and Nazar

In India, evil eye beliefs vary by region, religion, and language, yet share fundamental concepts. Hindi speakers use nazar (borrowed from Persian/Arabic), while South Indian languages employ drishti (from Sanskrit, meaning "sight" or "gaze"). The underlying principle remains constant: envious or admiring attention can cause tangible harm, particularly to children, pregnant women, and those experiencing success.

The iconic black dot (kala teeka or kajal) applied to babies' foreheads, cheeks, or behind ears serves as the most visible Indian protection. This deliberate "imperfection" deflects attention from the child's beauty or health. The logic: if something appears slightly flawed, it attracts less envy. Some families apply the dot using lamp soot, connecting the protection to sacred fire and light.

Indian mothers perform nazar utarna (removing the evil eye) through various methods: circling salt, red chilies, or mustard seeds around the affected person's head, then burning or discarding these items to destroy absorbed negative energy. The ritual often includes prayers to protective deities like Hanuman or invocations of the divine mother.

The Chili-Lemon Protection

Perhaps the most distinctive South Asian evil eye protection is the nimbu-mirchi (lemon and chili) hanging. Seven green chilies and one lemon strung together hang at business entrances, vehicle mirrors, and home doorways throughout India and Pakistan. This protection specifically targets Alakshmi (the goddess of misfortune and envy), believed to dislike sour and spicy items.

The practice demonstrates South Asian evil eye logic: protection can be achieved through objects the harmful force finds repellent rather than through direct confrontation. When the lemon dries and chilies shrivel, they're replaced, having absorbed negative energy. The ubiquity of this protection—from luxury car dealerships to street food carts—demonstrates its cross-class appeal.

Hindu Ritual Integration

Hinduism incorporates evil eye protection into broader ritual frameworks. The aarti ceremony—circling a flame before deities or honored persons—serves dual purposes: worship and protection. The circular motion with fire is believed to burn away evil eye effects while honoring the divine.

Specific deities offer evil eye protection: Hanuman for strength and courage, Durga for fierce protection, Ganesha for obstacle removal. Devotees wear deity pendants, keep images in homes and vehicles, and recite protective mantras (kavach) as shields against nazar. The Hanuman Chalisa—a 40-verse prayer—is particularly valued for its protective power.

Astrological remedies also address evil eye vulnerability. Vedic astrologers identify periods when individuals are particularly susceptible based on planetary positions, prescribing specific gemstones, mantras, or rituals to strengthen energetic defenses during vulnerable times.

Islamic South Asian Practices

South Asian Muslims blend Middle Eastern Islamic evil eye traditions with regional practices, creating unique syncretic protections. The nazar battu (evil eye amulet) combines Quranic verses with local symbolism—often featuring a hand, eye, or geometric patterns in black and white or blue.

Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim families use taweez (amulets containing Quranic verses or sacred numbers) as primary protection. These are prepared by religious scholars or spiritual healers and worn around the neck, arm, or waist. The practice navigates theological debates about permissible versus impermissible amulet use, with most scholars accepting Quranic verse amulets as legitimate.

The phrase mashallah (God has willed it) is mandatory after compliments, with nazar na lage (may the evil eye not strike) often added for emphasis. This linguistic protection is so ingrained that omitting it feels socially and spiritually dangerous.

Regional Variations Across South Asia

Tamil Nadu and South India: Drishti removal involves elaborate rituals with camphor, turmeric, and sacred ash. The drishti bommai (evil eye doll)—a grotesque face hung outside homes—frightens away harmful gazes. Kolam (rice flour designs) at doorways serve both aesthetic and protective functions.

Punjab: Sikh and Hindu Punjabi families use kala dhaga (black thread) tied around wrists or ankles, often with protective charms attached. The color black is believed to absorb negative energy before it reaches the wearer.

Bengal: Bengali mothers apply kajal generously and use jhaaru (broom) rituals—sweeping around a person to remove evil eye effects. The practice connects cleansing physical and spiritual spaces.

Sri Lanka: Sinhalese and Tamil communities use mal aessa (evil eye) protections including lime cutting rituals and coconut breaking ceremonies to diagnose and remove harmful influences.

Nepal: Himalayan Buddhist and Hindu practices blend, with prayer flags, mantras, and ritual objects providing layered protection against nazar in high-altitude communities.

Ayurvedic and Energy Perspectives

Ayurvedic medicine acknowledges evil eye effects as energetic disturbances affecting the subtle body. Symptoms include sudden illness, fatigue, anxiety, or inexplicable bad luck—conditions Ayurveda attributes to prana (life force) disruption caused by negative attention.

Ayurvedic remedies include protective herbs (neem, tulsi, rue), cleansing practices (smoke from sacred substances), and strengthening treatments (specific oils, dietary adjustments) to fortify the energetic field against external influences. This medical framework gives evil eye belief physiological legitimacy beyond folk superstition.

Children and Vulnerability

South Asian culture treats children as supremely vulnerable to evil eye, leading to extensive protective measures. Beyond the black dot, families may:

• Delay public announcements of pregnancies and births
• Limit visitors to newborns, especially in the first 40 days
• Dress babies in old or simple clothing to avoid attracting attention
• Avoid excessive praise of children in public
• Perform regular protective rituals (weekly or monthly)
• Use multiple simultaneous protections (thread, amulet, dot, prayers)

This protective vigilance reflects deep cultural anxiety about childhood vulnerability and the belief that excessive attention—even loving—can harm delicate constitutions.

Success, Wealth, and Social Dynamics

South Asian evil eye beliefs profoundly influence social behavior around success and wealth. Cultural norms encourage:

• Downplaying achievements: Avoiding boastfulness to prevent envy
• Delayed celebrations: Waiting to announce good news until outcomes are secure
• Charitable giving: Sharing wealth to neutralize potential resentment
• Humble presentation: Dressing modestly despite financial capacity
• Private rituals: Performing success-related ceremonies discreetly

These behaviors serve dual purposes: spiritual protection and social harmony. By managing visibility and moderating displays of fortune, individuals protect themselves energetically while maintaining community relationships.

Wedding and Life Event Protections

South Asian weddings incorporate extensive evil eye protections due to the event's visibility and the couple's vulnerability during transition. Common practices include:

• Applying kajal to bride and groom
• Hanging protective amulets in wedding venues
• Performing nazar utarna rituals before and after ceremonies
• Using mirrors to reflect harmful energy
• Burning protective substances (camphor, sage, chilies)
• Limiting photography to prevent mass evil eye from social media

Other life events—childbirth, new business openings, housewarming ceremonies—receive similar protective attention, with rituals scaled to the event's significance and visibility.

Modern South Asian Practice

Contemporary South Asian societies maintain strong evil eye consciousness despite modernization. Urban, educated populations continue protective practices, often framing them as cultural tradition rather than literal belief. The rise of social media has intensified evil eye anxiety, with many limiting what they post or adding protective hashtags and phrases to captions.

Diaspora South Asian communities worldwide preserve evil eye practices as cultural identity markers. Second-generation immigrants often rediscover these traditions when starting families, seeking connection to ancestral wisdom through protective rituals for their own children.

The South Asian Synthesis

South Asian evil eye traditions demonstrate remarkable synthesis: Vedic philosophy, Islamic theology, folk wisdom, and regional customs create layered protection systems addressing spiritual, social, and psychological dimensions of envy and harm.

The emphasis on children's protection, the integration with religious practice, and the sophisticated understanding of social dynamics reveal cultures that take energetic vulnerability seriously while developing practical, accessible protective methods. South Asian approaches offer rich resources for anyone seeking to understand how ancient wisdom adapts to contemporary life while maintaining core protective functions.