Magic vanishing from Indian streets

[Guest guest]

Magic vanishing from Indian streets

UDUPI: Eighty-five-year-old Chand Baba, India's oldest street

magician, is struggling hard to keep his ancient art alive but

poverty has driven him to perform on stage --- an act he regrets.

 

The number of street magicians in India have dwindled over the past

decade and the 100 or so who remain are having to focus on the

reality of money rather than the wonder of their craft to survive.

 

Gathering for a convention the southern town if Udupi this week, some

of the magicians said their children, who are the traditional torch-

bearers of street magic in India, were being lured away by more

lucrative careers.

 

Others complained that people were showing total disinterest in magic

being performed outdoors.

 

"My family has been doing street magic for more than two

generations," said Baba, wearing a white cap and sporting a long

white beard. "It is hard to keep my family alive today as expenses

have gone up.

 

"At the same time not many people are interested in street magic

anymore. They prefer to watch television. Younger generation prefer

to do other business as street magic does not pay anymore. Now I

perform anywhere to keep my art and my family alive. I even do my

tricks on stage though I regret it very much."

 

India's street magicians have a wide repertoire of skills the Indian

basket trick where a boy tied by ropes is placed in a basket made of

bamboo and disappears.

 

Most of the magicians survive on solo performances in front of a

village crowd or on urban streets earning an average of Rs 200 a day.

 

"More than the money it is the attitude of the people that is most

disappointing. In my younger days people used to watch magic with

pleasure and used to give us money generously. That is no more the

case," Baba, who lives in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, said.

 

These magicians lead a nomad's life with most of their hard-earned

money spent on travelling.

 

Samjunath Lalnath, 80, travels all over India exhibiting his magical

tricks, which include turning a brick into a snake and making a

scorpion disappear from his mouth.

 

Like other street magicians, Lalnath, who hails from Gujarat, shouts

orders to his jhamura (assistant) and people rush out of their homes

to watch his daring acts in open grounds.

 

"Out of 100 people who watch me only some ten people give me money.

Sometimes I have to be satisfied with clothes and food given to me by

them. It is definitely not sufficient for my family," Lalnath said.

 

"Street magic hides nothing from the public. It is open for scrutiny

by anyone. But now I see people in cars coming in hordes to watch

stage magic. Even villagers shy away," said the barefoot Lalnath, who

smokes a century-old pipe.

 

He said the "usual places" such as college grounds and street

corners, where they used to perform, were now restricted areas.

 

"In such conditions it is hard for a street magician to survive.

There is no support from the government for this art which is dying

by the day," he said.

 

Chand Pasha, 68, transformed himself into a stage magician a decade

ago after performing on the street for more than 30 years.

 

"They (street magicians) cannot give education to their children and

a son of a street magician is bound to follow the path of their

father. But now they are eager to send their children to school and

employ them in another field. So the number of these real magicians

are decreasing. They are very poor and face a lot of hardships."

 

But the surviving street magicians have not given up all hope and

have formed an association to teach the art to the younger kids.

 

"I am an illiterate. I live in filthy conditions but my art can

humble any great magician including any foreigner," Lalnath said.

 

"I do not know any other job. For me magic is life and I will do

anything that will take this Indian street magic to a wider

audience," he said.

 

( AFP )