shoulders, a special headdress, and a jama, a long white skirt like garment. Walter states that the tutelary spirit of the dhami-jhankris is the ban-jhankri (a spirit inhabiting the surrounding forest). Jhankris are also said to counteract the power of witches. Witches are believed to cast spells in many ways including by just looking at their victims or by through food eaten by the victim. A jhankri can nullify the evil spell.
Krishna Pratap Maharjan is in his 30s and lives in Bungamati, Lalitpur District. He says, “One and a half years ago, I was compelled to visit Jyotishi (Astrologer) Uday Narayan, in Satdobato, Lalitpur, because I was not feeling well for a long time.” What was he ailing from? Maharjan gives a wan smile and says, “It was many things.” It is obvious that he does not want to disclose the exact nature of his malaise. Then, with a sly smile, he offers, “Mostly stomach aches you know?” What was the treatment regimen? “The jyotishi drew a mandala on the ground and asked me to pick up a few grains of rice which I was to let go over the mandala center. This, I did five times. Then, after studying where the grains had fallen heperformed some jhar-phuk on me (sweeping and blowing ? usually with a broom or by sprinkling some rice on the afflicted person and blowing with the mouth) and gave me some medicines.” How long did the process take? “Hardly ten minutes,” answers Maharjan. “And it cost me only a bit over a hundred rupees.” The interesting part of his story is: “I have not suffered from the same ailments again.”
A jhankri sits alongside the jyotishi at his place of work who handles the more difficult cases. Apparently, Tuesdays are the busiest days of the week and they get many different kinds of patients. According