Latest news with #Devis
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
International Museum Day: NGMA in Bengaluru to host series of events till May 31
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bengaluru, is hosting a series of events to mark International Museum Day, with special programmes continuing till May 31. On Sunday, May 18, the museum will offer free entry and extended hours until 9 p.m. Highlights include a community engagement workshop, Playful Path to Museum Setup, at 3 p.m., and an online presentation by Ambika Patel, president of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), discussing museum practices and standards in India. A free shuttle service between Cubbon Park Metro Station and NGMA will be available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 18. Other events include storytelling sessions by Mamta Sagar and team on May 20 to 22 at 4 p.m., and a talk by Alka Pande on Devis, focusing on Karnataka, on May 30 at 5 p.m. The celebrations conclude on May 31 with the 'Sanhitha exhibition', a Braille and tactile art showcase at 11.30 a.m., followed by a puppet show by Dhaatu at 5 p.m. on the NGMA premises on Palace Road, Vasant Nagar.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘This is why it is called Dev Bhoomi': Anu Malhotra's journey into Kully Valley's living Devta culture with her book ‘Shamans of the Himalayas'
If you're a K-drama aficionado like I am, chances are your first introduction to shamanism came through the screen. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Himachal's Kullu Valley has its own rich, living, breathing shamanic tradition rooted in the Himalayan Devta culture. Here, gods don't just reside in temples — they travel in palanquins, settle village disputes, and even decide wedding dates. When documentary filmmaker and author Anu Malhotra first visited the valley, she, too, didn't expect to be pulled into a world where gods walk among people and daily life decisions are guided by ritual and trance. What she encountered was not a distant remnant of the past, but a thriving, sacred ecosystem, one where shamans known as Goors serve as living conduits between the human and divine. Her new book, Shamans of the Himalayas, emerges from years of deep immersion – over a hundred interviews, countless journeys, and the transformative experiences that also shaped her award-winning documentary series of the same name. We caught up with Malhotra to understand the workings of this tradition, its meaning, and why this ancient way of life still matters today. Read the edited excerpts below: In Kullu, the Devis and Devtas are not just temple-bound, they move among people. The gods are considered living entities. They ride in processions, visit other deities, and participate in village festivals. This is why the valley is called Dev Bhoomi, the land of the gods. Within this sacred ecosystem, the Goor – what the world might call a shaman – plays a central role. The Goor acts as a medium between our world and what lies beyond. Through them, the gods speak. Far from being exotic or distant, this communication is deeply woven into daily life. Locals consult a Goor before building homes, arranging marriages, or resolving a village crisis like asking for rain or ending it. Though shamanism is tribal at its root, in the Kullu Valley, it is absorbed within Sanatan Dharma. The divine manifests as Devis and Devtas, often localised avatars of Hindu gods. Some are ancestral heroes, Naag Devtas (serpent deities), or nature spirits inhabiting forests, rivers and lakes, and mountains. This fusion of tribal spirituality with Hinduism is what gives the culture its distinctive character. It's not a fringe practice, it's fully integrated. What the world calls shamanism, we live as Devta culture. The Goor is not a separate healer—they are the voice of the Devta. This isn't an isolated belief system. It's a lived, community-anchored tradition rooted in the rhythms of the land. While in trance states, the Goor becomes the mouthpiece of the deity. People gather – sometimes in large public festivals, sometimes in intimate sessions called pooch. The questions can range from illness to personal dilemmas to village-wide concerns or even exorcisms. There are other methods of divination too, some not involving trance, but deeply ritualistic and intuitive. Each session is approached with seriousness and reverence. You may not recognise a Goor in daily life. They may be uneducated, financially struggling, even working regular jobs. But when the Devta calls, everything else stops. They must go. That sense of surrender and responsibility is held with great honour. They carry the burden of responsibility with deep devotion. A Goor is supported by a team known as the Devloo, chosen by the deity. This includes a Pujari (priest), Kardar (manager), and Bajantris (musicians). It's the music that leads the Goor into trance. Each deity has a unique rhythm. While Shamans of the Himalayas focuses on the Kullu Valley, each region in India has its own cosmology. Their gods, rituals, and practices are different. You cannot generalise shamanism in India. It's hyperlocal and deeply embedded in community memory. Similar practices exist across India, from the Baigas of Madhya Pradesh to the tribal healers of the Northeast. What started as a film project became a life-altering journey. Over three years, I saw things I couldn't explain. I also saw how fragile this culture is, hidden behind tourism and ignored by modern India. I've tried to look at it with empathy, but also with a critical lens. It doesn't romanticise the culture. What is the psychology of belief? Why do we dismiss what we don't understand? We're losing cultural diversity at an alarming pace. The globalised world is erasing the very things that make us unique. The Kullu Valley is like a bubble – it has survived because it was once inaccessible. But even that's changing. At a time of ecological collapse and cultural amnesia, Shamans of the Himalayas asks us to pause. Maybe, just maybe, we need to look back—not to retreat, but to remember. There are different ways of being, of knowing, and of healing.
Los Angeles Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Granada Hills sweeps boys and girls City Section swim championships
It was all green and white at the City Section Swim Championships on Saturday at Valley College. Granada Hills won both the boys and girls titles for the second straight year thanks to its overall depth and several standout individual efforts. Junior Ryan Zheng defended his titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle events and anchored the victorious 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Senior Kenneth Devis won the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke for the third year in a row and led off the 400 freestyle relay as the Highlanders amassed 473 to far outdistance runner-up Palisades. Zheng clocked a personal-best 1:42.23 in the 200 freestyle to beat teammate Kyle Lee, who finished second, by more than four seconds. In the 500 freestyle, Zheng clocked 4:42.33 to win easily while Christopher Goodman of Palisades (4:55.05) edged Lee (4:55.18) for second. In one of the closest races of the day, Zheng held off a last-lap surge by Taft's David Abarbanel to clinch the Highlanders' 200 freestyle relay win by 65 hundredths of a second, posting a time of 1:29.12. In the final event, Zheng outdueled Cleveland sophomore Aleksander Fadipe to secure the Highlanders' first-place finish in 3:16.79. The Cavaliers were second in 3:18/02 and Palisades was third in 3:32.44. 'Freestyle's my specialty — that's pretty much all I do,' Zheng said. 'I'm really proud of us winning the 200 [relay]. That was the big one. As for the two individual events, hopefully next year will be my three-peater. Fingers crossed!' Devis has dominated his two individual events since his sophomore year and on Saturday he won the breaststroke, his favorite event, in 56.35 seconds and the butterfly in a personal-best 49.59 seconds. 'My goal is to swim Division I in college,' said Devis, who competes for Rose Bowl Aquatics during the club season. Also contributing to the boys' win was senior Jean Darbo, who took first in the 100 backstroke in 51.91. Taft's Itay Goudz (47.94) edged top qualifier Riley Amis of Palisades in the 100 freestyle and clocked 22.37 for second behind Palisades' Roi Levertov (21.96) in the 50 freestyle sprint. On the girls' side, the Highlanders won their third straight crown and ninth overall, racking up 426 points to outscore runner-up Palisades (252), the team with whom they shared the title last spring. Granada Hills won all three relays and sophomore Isabella San Jose won the 200 individual medley in 2:08.62 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.69, then anchored the 400 freestyle relay. Her senior sister, Ava, swam the second leg in the 200 freestyle relay and the third leg in the 400. Freshman Meygen Flores picked up valuable points by placing third in the 200 freestyle in 1:58.21 and winning the 100 butterfly in 57.75. GALA's Jordyn Hale won the 50 freestyle in 24 seconds flat and finished second behind Iris Paek of LACES (52.93) in the 100 freestyle in 53.57.
