Coopycat

A shaman, known as a jhankri or dhami in Nepal, is a part of a unique tradition that is based on spiritual belief. Nepalese society, with its deep-rooted religious faith in supernatural powers, still believes that miseries, illnesses, and bad luck are caused by evil powers and that these ill effects and consequences of evil can be removed or treated by evoking divine power. It is believed that a properly trained jhankri is gifted with the ability to gain intimate knowledge of supernatural beings-their whereabouts, desires, dislikes, and requirements-and drawing out their divine spirit to remove evil and thus cure the inflicted. Jhankri customs are known for their traditional healing system that uses Tantra, Mantra, and special rituals. A jhankri acquires divine power through meditation, parental teaching, or guidance of the Ban Jhakri, a half-human, half-animal shaman spirit of the forest. Because jhankris are widely believed to possess special spiritual powers, they have traditionally held prominent roles Nepalese society.