The Gaze that Guards: Studying Social Representations of the Drishti Bommai in Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Across cultural contexts, the act of seeing and the ‘gaze’ has long been imbued with the power to bless, to admire, and, at times, to harm. In South India, this belief materialises in the Drishti Bommai, a striking visual artefact believed to protect individuals and communities from the power of Drishti, the ‘Evil Eye This research investigates the Drishti Bommai as a socially constructed representation of fear, protection, and meaning, and studies its evolution in form and function.