1| Page AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE OF WITCHCRAFT IN INDIA INTRODUCTION ‘Witchcraft,’ ‘Black Magic’ and ‘Sorcery’ are prevalent since ancient times. They have different forms in the different cultural contexts. The use of magical faculties, the art of practicing witch, sorcery, and magic are most commonly for religious, divinatory, or medicinal purpose. The belief in and the practice of magic continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures even today. This paper is an attempt to present the belief and practice of witchcraft in India. India is like a continent with diverse cultures and religions. Similarly, the practice of witchcraft and black magic differs from region to region. Having this in mind the researcher aims to present only the general understanding of witchcraft in the larger Indian context with explaining the terminologies and the related practices with special reference to the presence of witchcraft practices in Hindu text. Moreover, the paper ends with a case study of a witchcraft practitioner and present reality of witch-hunting in India. 1. BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT IN MODERN INDIA Belief in witchcraft and black magic pervades in many parts of India. Witches are believed to have supernatural powers to cause goodness and to harm. ‘Witch doctors’ are not only seen as spirit healers but also as the main force to control witches, by identifying, deciding punishment and ensuring that it is carried out. In India, the Hindus generally believe that the world is balanced by opposites – ‘on the one hand prayers can heal and on the other hand spells can harm.’ Millions in India do pujas or prayers in order to protect themselves from all evils. Even in the big cities, people who fear the evil eye and counter it in various ways, for e.g.: a string of lemon and chilies can ward off the evil eye at entrance ways to home; demon masks are tagged on to homes and in construction sites; black cats in the path in front of a