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Ban Jhankri: Belief in the Existence of Natural Deity in Contemporary Societies of Darjeeling Hills
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Ancillary healthcare system in the contemporary society of Darjeeling hills of India have been studied especially on the faith healers. Dhami, Jhankri, Bijuwa, Boomhthing, Baidang, Ojha are found treating people where people's belief is considered as focus of treatment. Interestingly the study observed that there are unique healers who are specialized in spirit healing and other rituals trained by their spirit deity (trainer) called Ban Jhankri. In this modern age too patients come to them for those which modern medical practitioners fail to understand the cause of the ailment especially on psychological disorder. They are believed to act as trance between the physical and spiritual world. The present ethnobiological study finds the existence of Ban Jhankri as a scientific quest. Legacy of such a natural deity in the contemporary rituals need an attention as a cultural heritage and in Sikkim a tourism spot is also made and named as Ban Jhankri falls.
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