BEWITCHED BOY

Evening Star, Issue 21077, 14 April 1932, Page 7

BEWITCHED BOY

WAYS OF INDIAN SORCERERS ' There were astonishing scenes id Mysore the other day, when more than 3,000 people gathered to witness a display of “ witchcraft.” Jangli Shah Peer, of the Punjab, claiming to be a great and unrivalled exponent of sorcery, challenged anybody to undo* the spells that he would cast. The challenge was accepted by Oomer Khan, of Nanjaugud, and the contest was arranged. Then followed the sorcerers. The Pun* ; jabi marked out a piece of ground.) about 20yds square and sprinkled thearea with ashes. The corner points were marked with the stems of a plantain with green cocoanuts attached, while the enclosed area was a), display of tumeric and red powders. . In the middle was a cucumber half buried,; a bottle with a lime, a ,goat’s head, an egg placed upright, a bunch of plan* tains, a cocoanut. . The man from Punjab sat at one end of this square area muttering to him* self and gesticulating. Ho challenged tho other party to enter from their, positions. Oomer Khan selected as his medium] a boy of about ten years of age, who, he said, under his orders would bo able to enter the marked area and remove the tilings under spell. Oomer Khan, after much incantation and writhing oft his limbs, ordered the boy to enter thar area. The boy, who by now was apparently, not - himself, danced in front of th« hrena, and at first it looked as if ha was unable to enter the forbidden ground. He fell flat and wriggled out, but could not roll into the area; bub' after more incantations by Oomer, Khan was able to get into the area, bub apparently could not see any of the ob* jects, as he began to grope for them. However much the boy tried to enter the area for tho second _ time he was not successful, and in his struggle ta get an entry the boy rubbed his body, on the ground helplessly, causing blood to flow. Oomer Khan himself then tried td pick up the objects, but for a time he, too, was paralysed. At last he sue* ceeded after several vain attempts. When he picked up the lime and crushed it in his triumph yet a more interesting sight awaited the spectators. Synchronising with this crushing of the fruit the man from, the Punjab, who was conducting operations from tho other end, rolled out of his position, and it is said that the recoil of his own spell was so great that Ije was later scon helplessly rubbing his face on thei ground till blood began to flow..