ABSTRACT
Hindu ghost exorcism rituals may at times help reveal the causes of illness, disease, and misfortune, revealing potential methods for the ritual healing of individuals, families, and communities. Here Hindu religious beliefs, eschatology, and indigenous healing rituals are seen operating in direct interaction. Hindu ghost exorcism practices bring to life the potential of human ritual, narrative, and dialogue to both generate and reconfigure memory. Many Hindus tend to view the various causes of illness, sickness, and misfortune as complementary rather than exclusive. Importantly, indigenous Hindu models of ill health and disease often include spiritual or divine influences. Thus, longstanding caste ideologies and social stereotypes prevalent in Hindu society are also reflected in the hierarchy of ghosts and their ritual treatment by exorcists. Exorcism rituals and their narratives provide a striking example of the use of traditional cultural resources to deal with physical and mental ailments, creating empowered solutions that operate in a socially controlled and religiously sanctioned context.
