Dynamics of folk healing: a study of Sawrakoti, Himachal Pradesh, India

The current paper explores the prevalence and popularity of folk healing in and around the village of Sawrakoti, situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It looks into the continuing presence of and dependence on folk healing and its specialists, in spite of the presence of institutionalized health care such as a primary health centre (PHC) and government hospitals providing subsidized treatment. Sawrakoti has come up as a major educational hub in the region, attracting students and workers from villages near and far. This influx of people has transformed the area, with increased access to facilities like electricity and telecommunications and a greater geographical connectivity. The paper investigates factors which influence and inform the interaction of the local people with folk healers, such as the notion of familiarity, inefficacy of available medical treatments, local perceptions of divine and supernatural involvement in health and well-being, problems with family and other social relations and attempts to ensure success of on-going treatments. It endeavours to find the various causes for folk healing being a prominent feature of the region's cultural landscape.