The vanishing world of India's street magicians
It is on a ventilator."Khan's story reflects a wider change in India, where traditional street performers are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living from their craft.Magicians, jugglers, puppeteers and acrobats once made a living from crowds in public spaces. Two years later, he performed it before 30,000 people on a beach in Karnataka.His trick brought international attention, and that led to tours to the UK, France, Germany and Japan.Khan hoped the fame would shine a light on India's traditional performers. Many magicians returned to their villages; some never came back."We saw a decline in public performances after this period," Dhanda says.
- ▪It is on a ventilator."Khan's story reflects a wider change in India, where traditional street performers are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living from their craft.Magicians, jugglers, puppeteers and acrobats once made a livin
- ▪Two years later, he performed it before 30,000 people on a beach in Karnataka.His trick brought international attention, and that led to tours to the UK, France, Germany and Japan.Khan hoped the fame would shine a light on India's tradition
- ▪Many magicians returned to their villages; some never came back."We saw a decline in public performances after this period," Dhanda says.
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| Publication time | Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:59:05 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-03T00:26:23.369Z |
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The vanishing world of India's street magiciansImage source, Antariksh JainImage caption, Ishamuddin Khan is one of India's most famous street magiciansBySumedha PalBBC HindiPublished1 hour agoSitting in his cramped Delhi home, Ishamuddin Khan can still make a rope appear to rise into the air.The 55-year-old magician spent decades performing a trick once dismissed as legend, and still keeps photographs and newspaper clippings from his years of international fame.These days, he spends more time looking back at those memories than performing the trick."The times have changed," he says. "Street magic is dying a slow death.
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