SOCIETY

Superstitious villagers in Gaya cherish a woman's
patronage to rid of evil spirits

     Imamganj ( Gaya ): While International Women's Day was celebrated in India on Thursday as a celebration of Indian women's growing success on various fronts, a woman in Gaya 's Imaamganj Village is enjoying power for an unusual act. The 38-year-old Sati Devi practices sorcery. And, this helps her literally rule the villagers' heart. Visiting a dilapidated structure located in the midst of jungle near Imamganj village in Bihar 's Gaya District, one can watch an unusual pride on the face of Sati Devi, who claims to possess super natural powers to rid anyone of bad spirits' influence. There are several villagers--men and women-who complain of having come under the influence of evil spirits or ghosts, can often be found visiting this place for a solution through her magical tricks. She treats them for hysterical screaming and shuddering. "A ghost was perturbing me. It was from my family itself. I went to doctors but nothing abated my headache. But only after visiting this place, I am alright," said Vishvanath Ram, a villager and visitor at Sati Devi's Ashram. "I was suffering from nausea. I was captured by an unknown power. The power was from my in-laws," said Kiran Devi, a village woman. The visitors, most of them illiterates, feel Sati Devi is doing a great service for a social cause. Sati too claims to have special powers of conquering the spirits and ghosts. "I don't have a solution for diseases but I can take care of ghosts and spirits," Said Sati Devi, the woman with supernatural powers. Despite the surfacing of many cases of Tantriks (who practice sorcery) who deceive the gullible, there is no dearth of men and women who still believe in persons possessing super natural powers.
-Mar 9, 2007    

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