Ojha

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The term ojha is used in many modern Indian languages for a ghost exorcist. The term is used among speakers of Hindi and Bengali, as well as among the Santals.

The term ojha is thought to have been derived from Sanskrit "upadhyaya" ('teacher').

Most ojhas in India today are men, but there are also women ojhas. It is usually a low-caste profession, associated with some ritual impurity.

People seek help from ojhas for problems as diverse as physical disease, mental illness, depression, infertility, and bad luck.

Ojha can also be a Brahman last name. There is no connection between the Brahman Ojhas and the exorcists.

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