ABSTRACT
Dasain, one of the major festivals, is when many people attempt to get back to their homes, particularly if they are working elsewhere. The use of stethoscopes and certificates by laamaas locally points to how these and other medical and state-sanctioned artefacts circulate. As Stacey Pigg has pointed out, biswaas, translated frequently as belief, or faith, is an ambiguous word. As Pinto has persuasively argued for 'ersatz' medicine in rural north India, looking at the boundaries of legitimacy and the circulation of state power, this is not so much in opposition as interweaved with them. As Pinto has persuasively argued for 'ersatz' medicine in rural north India, looking at the boundaries of legitimacy and the circulation of state power, this is not so much in opposition as interweaved with them. The legitimacy and authority granted to these healers comes from their ability to master the spirits, particularly if they are chosen by them and are 'automatic'.
