Buri Nazar (Evil Eye): 9 Signs and 7 Simple Remedies to Remove Nazar at Home

Buri nazar, or the evil eye, is the belief that envy or excessive praise from others can drain your energy and bring sudden setbacks. Common signs are a child who cries without reason, a business that stops suddenly, tiredness right after meeting people, and repeated small losses. Traditional remedies include circling rock salt, mustard seeds (rai) and dried red chillies around the person and burning them, hanging nimbu-mirchi at the door, applying a kala tika to babies, and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. For lasting protection, the Shakti tradition turns to Maa Pratyangira Devi, who is worshipped as the one who turns negative energy back.

This guide covers the signs of nazar, the simple ways families have removed it for generations, how to protect children, newlyweds and businesses, and when it is time to seek deeper help.

What Is Buri Nazar (Evil Eye)?

Nazar, drishti or the evil eye is one of the oldest beliefs in India and across the world. The idea is simple: when someone looks at your happiness, success, child or home with envy — or even with too much admiration — that gaze carries energy. The person may not mean any harm, yet the energy can still disturb your peace, health or progress.

That is why Indian homes have always had small shields against it: the nazar battu at the gate, the black thread on a baby's wrist, the lemon and chillies at the shop door. They are reminders that what is precious should also be protected.

9 Signs of Nazar Dosh

You may be affected by buri nazar if you notice several of these together:

1. A baby or child cries suddenly, refuses milk or cannot sleep — especially after visitors have praised them.
2. Sudden tiredness or heaviness right after meeting certain people.
3. A business or shop that was running well suddenly goes quiet.
4. Repeated small accidents or breakages at home.
5. Things that were almost done keep falling apart at the last moment — a deal, a rishta, an exam result.
6. Quarrels at home without a clear cause.
7. Plants dying or milk curdling more often than usual.
8. A new purchase — a car, a house, jewellery — brings trouble soon after.
9. Loss of appetite and low mood that has no other explanation.

Important: if a child or adult has fever, pain, breathing trouble or any physical symptom, see a doctor first. Spiritual remedies are meant to work alongside medical care, never in place of it.

7 Simple Ways to Remove Nazar at Home (Nazar Utarne Ke Upay)

1. Salt, rai and red chilli (the most common remedy)

Take a pinch of rock salt, a few mustard seeds (rai) and 3 or 7 dried red chillies in your right hand. Let the person sit facing east. Circle your fist around them 7 times clockwise, from head to toe, while praying silently. Then throw the mixture into a fire or a burning gas flame. Many families say that if the chillies burn without their usual sharp smell, the nazar was heavy. Do this at sunset.

2. Alum (fitkari)

Circle a piece of alum around the person 7 times and place it on a hot tawa or in fire. The alum melts and changes shape. This is popular in north India for children and newborns.

3. Nimbu-mirchi at the door

Thread one lemon and seven green chillies on a string and hang it at the main door or shop entrance every Saturday. Replace it each week, and never use the old one in food.

4. Kala tika for babies

A small dot of kajal behind the ear or under the foot of a baby is the gentlest protection. A black thread on the wrist or ankle is also traditional.

5. Salt-water bath

Add a handful of rock salt to bath water, or rinse your feet in salt water before sleeping. Pour it away and do not reuse it.

6. Camphor and cloves

Light a piece of camphor with two cloves in the evening and carry it through every room. The fragrance cleanses the space.

7. Hanuman Chalisa and prayer

Reciting the Hanuman Chalisa on Tuesdays and Saturdays, or simply chanting the name of your ishta devata, builds a protective shield over time. Prayer is the remedy that never runs out.

How to Protect Children, Newlyweds and Your Business

• Children: avoid posting every photo online, apply a kala tika before outings and do the salt-rai remedy once a week if they seem disturbed.
• Newlyweds: the wedding season brings many eyes. A simple nazar utarna by an elder after the wedding and before entering the new home is a lovely tradition to keep.
• Business and shop: hang nimbu-mirchi on Saturdays, keep the entrance clean and well lit, and avoid boasting about profits or new deals before they close.
• New home or vehicle: do a small puja before first use and keep a nazar battu or a picture of your deity at the entrance.

When Home Remedies Are Not Enough

If you have tried these remedies and the heaviness keeps returning — repeated losses, constant illness in the family, a feeling that something is blocking you — it may be deeper than ordinary nazar. In the Shakti tradition this is where the protection of Maa Pratyangira Devi is sought. She is the lion-faced Mother whose very name means "the one who turns back", and she is worshipped to return negative energy to its source.

At our Manali Ashram, the Akhara performs a Pratyangira Devi pooja with your name and gotra in the sankalp, which you can join live from anywhere. For fear and repeated obstacles, many devotees also do a Kal Bhairav pooja. If you are unsure what you are facing, book a consultation and speak with Sadhvi Sshivani Durga ji before choosing any ritual.

You may also like our guide to the 7 signs of negative energy at home and our Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2026 guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have nazar?

Look for sudden changes without a clear reason: a child who cries after visitors leave, tiredness after meeting someone, or a business that drops suddenly. If several signs appear together, try a simple remedy like salt and rai.

What is the fastest way to remove nazar?

The traditional salt, rai and red chilli remedy, circled 7 times around the person and burned at sunset, is the most widely used and is done in a few minutes.

How do I remove nazar from a baby?

Use gentle remedies: a kala tika behind the ear, a black thread on the wrist, and circling alum or salt around the baby before burning it. Always see a doctor if the baby is unwell.

Which day is best to remove nazar?

Tuesday and Saturday evenings at sunset are considered most effective, though you can do a remedy any day it is needed.

Does nimbu-mirchi really protect from nazar?

It is a time-honoured symbol of protection for homes and shops. Hang a fresh one every Saturday and discard the old one.

Which deity protects from the evil eye?

Hanuman ji, Kaal Bhairav, Maa Kali and Maa Pratyangira Devi are all worshipped for protection. Maa Pratyangira is especially invoked to turn negative energy back to where it came from.

May the Mother's gaze be the only one that rests on your family — loving, watchful and protective. Jai Maa Pratyangira.