In Indian household tradition, what pair is often hung together to ward off the evil eye?

In Indian household tradition, lemons and chillies are often hung together to ward off the evil eye. A string of one lemon and several green chillies, commonly called nimbu-mirchi, is placed on shopfronts, vehicles, homes, or entrances.

The practice belongs to the wider South Asian idea of nazar, the harmful influence of an envious or overly admiring gaze. Explanations for the custom vary: some describe the lemon’s sourness and the chilli’s sharpness as symbolically unattractive to harmful forces, while others treat the pairing as a folk protective charm without a single agreed origin.

The charm is a superstition rather than a scientifically demonstrated protective device. It is also not identical to every Indian evil-eye custom; black threads, black dots, and other amulets occur in different regions and communities. The hanging pair is especially visible in commercial and domestic settings.