to Maharjan, “Women, whose husbands have deserted them, or are suspected to be on the verge of deserting them for some other woman, make up a significant part of their clientele.” And how are their problems solved? Again, according to Maharjan who claims to have developed a good friendship with the jyotishi and the shaman, “Most of the time the shaman concocts some preparation that he advises the suffering woman to put into her husband’s food or drink.”
Shamanism still prevails
It is surprising to realize that even in a city like Kathmandu with its numerous hospitals, medical colleges and nursing homes, there are many people who still have a deep belief in the power of jyotishis and shamans and prefer to have their ailments treated by them rather than by qualified doctors. The fact that the above mentioned ‘firm’ has recently opened another branch in Pyag Pokhari, Patan, could be an indication towards the popularity of this sector. Actually, while jyotishis are different from shamans, it is true that they too claim to be able to deal with common ailments. A Brahmin priest in the Bhairav Nath temple in Lagankhel has this to say: “If it’s a small matter, I can take care of it through some jhar-phuk; but if it’s a complicated case, then one should go to Baglamukhi temple in Patan where one will find a shaman.”
Similarly, Jyotishi Bikram Raj Bajracharya has his workplace at his residence in Patan. Picture this scene on a Saturday evening at around 7 pm: The jyotishi, in his seventies, sits on a comfortable red sofa behind a desk on which are scrolls, parchments and a brass dish holding some raw rice. A young man and a middle aged woman sit opposite him. The young man is talking on his mobile, “Yes Madam, the