Rituals for the local gods among the Bod of Paldar

Abstract

The western Himalayan region of Paldar (which lies in the southern part of the Indian State of Jammu-and-Kashmir) pertains to the Indo-Tibetan Marches. It is inhabited by both Pahari-speakers, Hindu, and Tibetan-speakers, Buddhist. The latter, who call themselves Bod (literally “Tibetans”, or more precisely “Tibet”), have developed a hybrid micro-culture, by way of intermingling Indic and Tibetan cultural features. This matter of fact is exemplified by the cults paid to its local gods by the Bod population of the Valley of Kabön: indeed, these rituals have many similarities to their Pahari counterparts, but they also integrate a number of elements which are attested in Zanskar, an enclave of Tibetan culture laid out to the North-East of Paldar.