ROLPA, Jan. 22 -- Ujal BK, 55, is a very busy man. He keeps traveling from one village to another carrying a bag filled with rudraksha, bells, traditional utensils, and some incense sticks. He is always clad in special attire with a necklace around his neck and a ragged pair of slippers in his feet. "My work is to cure people. When they get ill, they call me," he announces proudly.

Of late, churches have become a highly sought-after place for people with an illness. However, shamans like BK have not lost their job yet.

"Many churches have been established in recent years and many people throng to these churches seeking respite for illness. But I do not have time for myself. People call for me whenever they or their loved ones fall ill. ...