'Shamans of the Himalayas' captures valley life in words and images

Business Standard

20-05-2025

Shamans of the Himalayas
Publisher: Om Books International
340 pages Price: ₹595
One of India's most acclaimed documentary filmmakers and cultural chroniclers, Anu Malhotra, has released a rare and riveting account of her decade-long immersion with the Goors (shamans) of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The beautifully illustrated book is both a travel memoir and an anthropological reflection, giving readers an intimate view of the Devta culture — an ancient system of spirit deities and rituals that is still practised by villagers in the picturesque Kullu valley.
The Shamans of the Himalayas began in 2008 when Ms Malhotra encountered a shaman of Hadimba Devi in a divine possession trance during a celebratory mela in Manali. Ms Malhotra decided to document this culture and learn more about it. Ms Malhotra was soon swept into the mystical world of Goors — powerful shamans who serve as mediums of the Devta — oracles, trance mediums, exorcists, doctors, astrologers, counsellors, psychotherapists, life coaches, spiritual guides, practitioners of magic, and healers. It was astonishing indeed for her to see Goors go into a trance, allowing the spirit of the Devi or Devta to enter their bodies and communicate with people through them. Ms Malhotra went on to unravel many sacred rituals, magico-religious practices and traditional healing modalities — many of which had never been documented before.
She was surprised to find that the village Devtas were not merely objects of worship but an institution governing every aspect of life – social, cultural, moral, economic, religious, and political. The shamans act as spiritual intermediaries who continue to guide village life in this remote terrain. 'The village Devta or Devi guides all activities, including festivals, marriages, and customs,' she writes. She also discovered that in order to film any of the valley's religious activities, she required formal permission from the Devta of the area. She began working on her four-part documentary series in 2008, and took three years to research, film, and edit it. A few years ago, she decided to adapt the series into a book, which took about four years to write.
At the outset, the author defines and introduces various types of shamanism practices across the world – such as trance states, spirit possession, and sacred healing – particularly in India. 'Shamanism encompasses the premise that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit world,' she writes. While researching the subject, Ms Malhotra found that shamanic traditions are a universal form of cultural practice. 'They represent humanity's earliest spiritual practices going back about 30,000 to 60,000 years,' she says. Moreover, the practice of shamanism has been documented throughout Asia, Oceania, North and South America, Africa, and parts of Europe. 'The main role of a Goor is to be the medium of the Devta. To allow divine possession to take place, or for their body to be taken over by the Devta, requires them to be in a state of trance, or altered state of consciousness,' explains Ms Malhotra.
After following Tuleram, the Goor of Hadimba Devi for a while, Ms Malhotra finally manages to meet him and uncover his extraordinary story. Her quest leads her to search for other Goors in the region, including a female one. For the people of Kullu, communicating with their gods through Goors and divine healings are a part of their everyday lives, even for the so-called 'cosmopolitan Paharis'.
Ms Malhotra observes that devotees come to the Devi with full faith, with problems ranging from physical and mental health, career-related, familial as well as community-related issues. 'The Devi's suggestions and solutions can range from herbal cures, behavioural changes and pujas to animal sacrifices and even exorcisms,' she explains. Needless to say, the role of the Goor comes with much responsibility. Bound by rules and regulations, Goors receive many benefits and much respect.
The author also delves deep into the historical background of divine possession. Among other fascinating events, she also witnesses a mass exorcism. Ms Malhotra also throws light on various 'nature spirits' that are believed in across the world. Along the way, she also makes important reflections, such as the fact that the inequalities of the caste system are very much a lived reality not just for the majority of the population in the Kullu Valley but across the country.
The book is interspersed with photographs by the author, depicting all that she saw and experienced first-hand. Having personally lived in Manali briefly during my childhood, vivid descriptions of the valley and its people particularly spoke to me.