Ipsita Roy Chakraverti

Ipsita Roy Chakraverti (born Ipsita Chakraverti; November 3, 1950) is a Wiccan priestess based in India. Born into an elite family in India with a diplomat for a father and royalty for mother, Chakraverti spent her early years in Canada and the US where her father was stationed. There, she was allowed to join a select group of women, who were studying ancient cultures of the world and the old ways. Chakraverti studied with them for three years and finally chose Wicca as her religion. After coming back to India and getting married, Chakraverti declared herself as a witch in 1986. Amidst the backlash that followed her declaration, Chakraverti explained to the media regarding the Neo Pagan ways of Wicca and its healing power.

Chakraverti started administering Wiccan ways of healing to the people of India, including traveling to remote villages and teaching the female population there, who were often accused of black magic and "witchcraft" by the male folk, and were murdered. In 1998, Chakraverti campaigned as an Indian National Congress candidate for the Parliament of India in the Hooghly district, but was not elected. She released her autobiography Beloved Witch in 2003. A second book titled Sacred Evil: Encounters With the Unknown was released in 2006, which chronicled nine case studies during her life as a Wiccan healer and gave explanations as to why those events happened. Both books received positive critical reception.

The story Sacred Evil from the book was made into a motion picture by Sahara One Pictures. Titled Sacred Evil – A True Story, the film starred Bollywood actress Sarika playing Chakraverti. After its release, the film was a commercial disappointment but received mixed reviews. Chakraverti started the Wiccan Brigade, a platform for those who want to study Wicca which was followed by Bengali TV channel ETV Bangla, creating two tele-serials based on Chakraverti's life and her experience with the paranormal. Chakraverti, who believes that Wicca is the first feminist movement in history, has been credited for bringing a new light on the taboo subject of witchcraft in India, and the rest of the world.