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Jadoo and Jadu-tona: Islamic Magic and Mysticism in Modern India
Abstract by Shreeyash Palshikar On Session IV-12  (Occult Bodywork)

On Friday, December 2 at 11:00 am

2022 Annual Meeting

Abstract
This paper will investigate how ideas of jadoo and jadu-tona are both understood and performed in modern India from the perspectives of traditional Muslim street magicians who are popularly known as jadoowallas, but call themselves madaris. It will also consider questions of spectatorship from an audience point of view, and ways that images of jadoo and jadu-tona have permeated into popular culture, including theater, advertisements, and Bollywood films. Previous work on traditional Indian street magicians has focused on them as syncretic figures who eclectically draw on a variety of mystical traditions in their performances, but not taken their Islamic identities seriously when considering slippages between secular and occult modes of performing and viewing their magic. The magicians readily admit that jadu is ‘haram’ according to Islamic laws, yet assert that it is their ancestral occupation they do to earn their livelihoods and support their families. The paper will focus on the question of how the performers of jadoo view the relationships between magic as a skilled folk performance art ‘kala’ based on techniques like sleight of hand ‘haath ki safai’ and misdirection ‘nazar bandi’ versus a powerful occult/mystical art ‘jadoo-tona’. Both Western and East Asian magic make clear distinctions between performances of occult magic and performances of secular magic for entertainment, but Indian madaris slide easily between the two forms in their performances. They will perform a show that they will explicitly say is a performance art, not begging as it is considered in Indian law. After a show, if a spectator lingers on to consult with them about a personal question or concern, they slip into the role of a mystical occult problem solver who can sell them magic charms to ward off snakes, cure health problems, or procure love or wealth. The slippages between these two modes of presentation on the part of both spectator/clients and performer/practitioners suggest an understanding of the relationship between these two forms of magic performance that differ from the clear occult/secular magic distinctions common in both the western and eastern worlds, and may be based on Islamic understandings with roots in Shia or Sufi mystical practices. The paper will also attempt to unpack religious worlds of the madaris themselves to understand where they go when they are seeking divine intervention in their worldly affairs.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
India
Sub Area
Mysticism/Sufi Studies