Silver Amulets with Chain

Wearing an amulet or a talisman, to protect and to fulfill certain desires, has been an age old practice, not just in India, but, in other cultures of the world as well. In Sanskrit the word for an amulet is Kawach. The ancient people believed in the power of the living bodies, be it the sun or a tree, as well as in the presence of the evil spirit. Not only that, they also believed in the evil eye of the jealous. With image worship emerged the practice of seeking the blessing of Ishta, or the male/female deity that the individual chose, or Kuldevi, that the community worshiped. Obviously, it displayed their faith. Body contact with the deity provided a sense of having divine protection all the time.