Casting off the evil eye is one of the most prevalent customs among the Hindus. The word Najar or evil eye has a malevolent significance in the Indian custom. The evil eye is the eye of envy. It is generally considered that the guilty party is unaware of the damage done. No one is completely immune to evil eye. In this connection it is interesting to notice that children are supposed to be highly susceptible to the influence of the evil-eye and the reason for this is not far to seek. The childhood is the most attractive period of human life. However elders are not immune to evil eye.
The concourse of attention of a number of people towards a particular object may be said to surround that object with invisible matter akin to poisonous matter. A counter-current would carry away all undesirable accumulations clearing the locality as it were. Further, certain substances serve as traps to catch undesirable pests, for example, a fly-paper to catch flies, a piece of paper coated over with sugar to attract the ants, and so forth.
No one can help admiring a beautiful kitten at play and the sportive pups of a home pet-dog. Such being the case, it is no wonder that children draw the attention of a number of people, which directs various invisible currents towards them. And they eventually carrying in their wake undesirable creatures in the invisible worlds and liberating injurious influences. The counteracting force generated by the children is reduced to a minimum by their undeveloped stage of growth. They are liable to suffer if developed grown-up people do not come to their rescue.
It will be a common sight everywhere in India that fields having fertile crops and trees and plants in gardens laden with luxurious fruits are decorated with fantastic and ugly looking scare-crows and figures made of straw and clay. Evil eye sprang from desire. Evil eye is related to human obligations and the failure to meet them. At the sociological level evil eye tells us of status and equality. Evil eye can be turned away and its ill effects are curable.
