Stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

street A street is a public thoroughfare in a city, town or village, typically lined with Building, buildings on one or both sides. Streets often include pavements (sidewalks), pedestrian crossings, and sometimes amenities like Street light, streetligh ...

magic has a long history in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Popular tricks include the rope trick, Indian basket, and Indian cups and ball.

Ancient history

The Latin term ''Magi'' was used to refer to Zorastrians during ancient times. The performance of magic and its practice is historical and very ancient. There would be definite yet varied purposes for the practice of magic which evolved where entertainment, tricks, deception, illusion, cheating in games, and fun may have been aimed. Sometimes, in religious context and purpose, it meant to offer social education along with some kind of preaching and healing too. The practice of Magic started to become evident around the beginning of the 18th century in India, and eventually the nation would present some distinct magicians in later years.

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

and some other parts of India have produced few great magicians so far. Ganapati Chakraborty

In ancient times, Indian magicians were often considered to be workers of legitimate mystical miracles, not simply entertainers. According to John Zubrzycki, writer of Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic, the history of Indian magic goes back to the 3500 BC old

Harappan Civilisation The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE ...

. There has been evidence showing that people back then used charms, amulets and talismans. There has also been evidence of Indian fortune tellers dating back to Roman Empire. The Indian Magic was brought into the west in the 1813 by an English Captain of a ship who offered a group of jugglers in Madraes a great reward for their performance across the Black Sea. The general reputation of

Mohammed Chhel Mohammed Chhel originally a fakir ( mystic) was a renowned magician of Saurashtra, Gujarat. Mohammed Chhel was born in 1850 in Ningala, a small village and a railway junction in Gadhada Taluka of Bhavnagar district in Saurashtra, Gujarat (India) ...

, born in 1850 in Ningala,

Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city and the headquarters of Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil. It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Dominion ...

is notable in the magic world. Very popular regionally, he was considered a Mystic. Chhel did not generally venture into stage shows and commercial performances. His target audience remained peasants, simple - ordinary people, villagers, train passengers and such a class of society. With his performance/acts he often intended to convey some message of life to people, and he would strive to extend with his acts/magic for the benefit of deprived people. There are also several other popular magicians and their groups in Gujarat, such as

K Lal Kantilal Girdharilal Vora (10 April 1924 – 23 September 2012), popularly known as K. Lal, was an Indian magician. Biography K. Lal was born on 10 April 1924 in Bagasara (now in Amreli district, Gujarat, India) in a jain family of Girdh ...

, Pro. Chudasama, and few others. The grandfather of

's magic is

Vazhakunnam Neelakandan Namboothiri Vazhakkunnam Neelakandan Namboothiri (8 February 1903 – 9 February 1983), better known as Professor Vazhakkunnam was an Indian performing magician and illusionist from the south Indian state of Kerala. He was one of the earliest practition ...

. He played an important role in bringing magic as an art. Born in 1903, he learned magic after having watched some tricks shown in his Illam by one Mundaya Eachara Varier. Vaazhakunnam later became famous for Kayyothukkam, although occasionally he performed also "Cheppum Panthum" (cups and balls) to small family gatherings. After 1940 he started real stage performances with his troupe. The shows also included short dance programmes, comedy skits, etc.

Notable illusions

There is some evidence that the

aerial suspension The aerial suspension, ethereal suspension or broomstick illusion is an illusion in which the performer appears to be suspended in mid-air for some minutes, with either inadequate support or no apparent support of the performer's weight. This tric ...

illusion originated with an Indian Brahmin. The most well-known magical illusion connected with India is the

Indian rope trick The Indian rope trick is a magic trick said to have been performed in and around India during the 19th century. Sometimes described as "the world’s greatest illusion", it reputedly involved a magician, a length of rope, and one or more boy ass ...

. Other routines include the

cups and balls The cups and balls is a performance of magic with innumerable adaptations. Street gambling variations performed by conmen were known as Bunco Booths. A typical cups and balls routine includes many of the most fundamental effects of magic: the ...

, Indrajal, X-Ray Eyes, Waters of India, Blindfold Ride, a water escape as practiced by

Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

and feats of

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' () comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card fl ...

Notable magicians from India

P.C. Sorcar Protul Chandra Sorcar (23 February 1913 – 6 January 1971) was an Indian magician. He was an internationally active magician throughout the 1950s and 1960s, performing his ''Indrajal'' show before live audiences and on television. Sorcar died ...

* O.P. Sharma *

* P.C. Sorcar, Jr. *

Gopinath Muthukad Gopinath Muthukad (born 10 April 1964) is an Indian Magician (illusion), magician and motivational speaker from Kerala. He employs magic as a medium to convey his messages to public. Muthukad founded the world's first magic academy, The Academ ...

Prahlad Acharya Prahlad Acharya (born 1973) is a magician, illusionist, escapologist, and stunt performer from Udupi, Karnataka, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and depende ...

* Chanchal Lahiri. He died after attempting a

Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

trick in the

Ganges River The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

on 16 June 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian Magicians

Ancient history

Notable illusions

Notable magicians from India

See also

References