Drishti and nazar: the harmful gaze in Indian tradition

In India the evil eye has many names. In the languages of the North people often speak of nazar, a word that came from Arabic by way of Persian; in the South the Sanskrit drishti prevails, which simply means «sight», and in Tamil one says kan drishti, the sight of the eye. The expressions change, but the underlying idea is familiar to anyone who knows the Mediterranean: excessive admiration or envy can strike children, brides, harvests, new houses and businesses.

Protecting children and brides

One of the most visible customs concerns newborn babies. Many Indian families draw a small black mark of kajal, the traditional eye cosmetic, on the baby's cheek, forehead or behind the ear. In Hindi it is often called kala tika, «black mark». The principle, according to traditional explanations, is that of deliberate imperfection: a visible flaw makes the child less perfect in the eyes of others and therefore less exposed to admiration that is considered dangerous.

Brides, too, are considered particularly vulnerable on their wedding day, because they attract every gaze. In various regions relatives perform symbolic protective gestures, such as circling objects around the bride's head before taking them away. The same pattern, which anthropologists describe as gathering up the harm and sending it away, recurs in rites dedicated to children and in many family celebrations, with very numerous regional and caste variants.

Lemons, chillies and monstrous masks

In Indian cities it is common to see a lemon and a few green chillies threaded on a string hanging at the entrance of shops, houses and vehicles, the so-called nimbu mirchi. According to a widespread popular explanation, the sour and spicy taste would satisfy Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, persuading her not to cross the threshold. The string is often renewed weekly, traditionally on Saturdays, and it can be seen even on lorries and motor rickshaws.

In South India a painted mask with a monstrous face, bulging eyes, fangs and a protruding tongue, called drishti bommai in Tamil, is often hung on buildings under construction. In some areas a white gourd with a face drawn on it is also used. Its function is to catch the first glance of passers-by and to protect the structure during its most delicate phase, when it is still unfinished and exposed to everyone's curiosity.

Kirtimukha, the face of glory

These masks have an illustrious ancestor in sacred art. Above the doors and niches of many Hindu temples appears the face of Kirtimukha, «face of glory», a monster with gaping jaws. According to a mythological tale handed down in Puranic literature, Shiva created a ravenous being and, when it had nothing left to devour, ordered it to eat itself. Only the face remained, which the god chose to set as guardian over the doors of temples.

The Indian case confirms a recurring principle in the history of the evil eye: the harmful gaze is met with a stronger face, a deliberate flaw or an offering that draws attention away. The customs described here coexist today with the modern life of the great cities, in shops as on building sites, and show a remarkable continuity between myth, temple art and everyday gestures, handed down within families from generation to generation.