Jaunsar-bawar and their Supernatural belief with Health

Jaunsar-bawar and their Supernatural belief with Health
Alok Chantia
Before 1884, the tribe Khasa was unknown to the world but this name was converted to
Jaunsar-bawar or Jaunsari in 1967 (gazette no 107). This included all the stratified castes
(in the local caste structure, there are three discernible stratification levels, viz., the upper
– (land owning castes- Rajputs and Brahmins), the middle (artisan caste – Nath, Bajgi,
Mistri and Lohar) and the lower (unclean caste – Kolta, Dom, Chamar)). In this regard,
this tribe is in existence due to the queer characteristics of polyandry, which is higher in
the middle level. Polyandry is the base to identify this tribal group (adjacent non-tribal
communities are also practicing polyandry and are demanding for an equal status as the
Jaunsar-bawar, who have it only due to the influence of polyandry).
Jaunsar-bawar are living in the Chakrata tehsil of Dehradun district of Uttaranchal state.
It lies between latitudes 30031’ and 31033’ North and longitudes 77045’ and 78072’ East
and is divided into 39 Khats and 385 villages.
Jaunsari have faith in supernatural powers. They believe that every good and bad
happening is connected with especially health and illness. They believe that illness is
caused by the intervention of a supernatural being (a deity or a god) or a non-human
being (such as a ghost, ancestor or an evil spirit) and a human being with a kind of
supernatural power (witch or sorcerer).
The causative agents recognized by the Jaunsaris are divided into sub-categories.
a) Divine wrath, e.g., wrath of gods and goddesses, sins, crimes, disobedience of
religious laws, evil eye, witch and sorcerer.
b) Wrath of non-divine sources, e.g., evil spirits, and
c) Ghost intrusion.