Authoritative Modes of Speech in a Central Himalayan Ritual

Abstract

Among the most striking aspects of the culture of the Central Himalayan region (this includes the Indian state of Uttarakhand and the westernmost part of Nepal) are the development of bardic narration and the social role played by rituals of divine possession. These practices interact variously in different sub-regions (for examples, see Lecomte-Tilouine 2009; Hitchcock and Jones 1976).2 My concern here is with one of these configurations: that of a set of rituals known as jagar (in colloquial Kumaoni jag), since they take place at night, which are performed in the central part of Kumaon, the former kingdom that makes up the eastern section of Uttarakhand. The purpose of the Kumaoni jagar is to manifest one or several local divinities. This is done either for the good of a family, in which case the ritual is held in the family's home, or for the good of the village or this "whole created world" (yo srsti sansar), in which case it takes place in a temple or courtyard, both called dhuni, dedicated to the legendary sage Guru Gorakhnath.