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Monday, July 28, 2025

Between Worlds: The Vanishing Trance Rituals of Dhami-Jhankri Shamans

"SOURCE:  https://thewondernepal.com/articles/between-worlds-the-vanishing-trance-rituals-of-dhami-jhankri-shamans/"


Between Worlds: The Vanishing Trance Rituals of Dhami-Jhankri Shamans

In the dimly lit hearths of Nepal’s highlands, where stories still swirl with the smoke from firewood and prayer flags flutter in the mountain wind, there exists an ancient practice of crossing realms. The Dhami-Jhankri—Nepal’s indigenous shamans—have long served as spiritual bridges between the seen and the unseen, the living and the dead, the tangible and the mystical. Their trance rituals, once common throughout rural Nepal, are vanishing into memory. In today’s Nepal of smartphones and concrete cities, the old rhythms of the drum that summoned gods, spirits, and ancestral powers are fading—lost in silence.

Shamans of the Himalayas: Who Are the Dhami and Jhankri?

To understand the vanishing of these trance rituals, one must begin with the shamans themselves. The terms Dhami and Jhankri are often used interchangeably but bear subtle regional and functional distinctions. "Jhankri" is most commonly used in the hill regions and implies a shaman who enters altered states through drumming, chanting, and dancing. "Dhami" often implies a medium who becomes possessed or speaks on behalf of a spirit or deity, often in a more controlled ritual setting. Both roles blur the lines between healer, priest, oracle, and exorcist.

These figures are not trained in schools or temples. Their journeys begin with visions, dreams, or illness—what anthropologists term "shamanic illness"—a period of intense physical and psychological distress that is interpreted as a calling from the spirit world. Often a mentor shaman then guides the initiate through apprenticeship, teaching them ritual chants, cosmology, herbs, and the complex dance between the physical and spiritual worlds.

Entering the Trance: The Ritual Mechanics

A trance ritual typically begins with the beat of the dhyangro, a double-sided frame drum believed to summon and communicate with spirits. As the drumbeat intensifies, the Jhankri begins to chant mantras in esoteric languages—part Sanskrit, part local dialects, part spiritual tongue unintelligible to outsiders. As the rhythm deepens, the shaman’s body begins to shake. Their eyes may roll back, their voice might change. At a certain point, it is believed that a deity or spirit enters their body.

In some communities, the Jhankri dances around a ritual fire, often entering trance in front of the entire village. In others, the Dhami remains seated in a trance state, issuing oracles or instructions given by the deity possessing them. These sessions may address a range of issues—illness, bad harvests, ancestral disturbances, unseen forces, or spirit possession. Through trance, the shaman negotiates with these forces, offering sacrifices, chanting remedial mantras, or conducting rituals to restore balance.

Cosmology and the Spirit World

The Dhami-Jhankri worldview does not distinguish sharply between natural and supernatural. Mountains, rivers, forests, and rocks are all animated with spirit life. Illness, mental disturbance, or misfortune is often attributed to imbalances or disturbances in this spiritual ecosystem. The role of the shaman, then, is that of a mediator—someone who communicates with these forces and restores cosmic harmony.

Their trance is not mere performance. It is a religious and communal event, where boundaries between the self and other dissolve. The Jhankri is not merely pretending to be possessed—they are believed to truly embody the spirit of a god, an ancestor, or a natural force. For the communities that rely on these rituals, this transformation is not metaphor—it is fact.

Regional Variations Across Nepal

Trance rituals vary across Nepal’s ethnic tapestry. Among the Rai and Limbu communities of eastern Nepal, the Mundhum tradition provides a vast oral cosmology that underpins their shamanic practices. Their shamans, known as Nakchhong or Mangpa, invoke spirits of ancestors and nature in elaborate rituals that involve chanting of mythic narratives. Among the Tamang and Sherpa, the Bompo shamans blend Buddhist and animist elements, and often use trance to ward off spirits known as “gdon.”

In western Nepal, Dhamis act as mediums for powerful deities known as Kul Devta or village guardians. In possession rituals, Dhamis may take on the voice and personality of a particular deity, delivering prophecies or healing commands. In the hills of Rolpa and Rukum, trance ceremonies often coincide with seasonal cycles, involving community feasts and animal sacrifices.

From Healing to Performance: Trance as Cultural Theatre

In the past, trance rituals were intimate, practical, and woven into everyday life. If a child had a fever, a Jhankri might be called instead of a doctor. If crops failed, the community might sponsor a trance ritual to appease the local deity. But as biomedical care and modern infrastructure spread, the functional role of shamans has diminished. In many villages today, trance rituals are retained more as ceremonial performances—staged during festivals or tourism events rather than as integral aspects of daily life.

This shift transforms the shaman’s role from healer to performer. The trance, once terrifying in its rawness, becomes stylized. Chants are shortened. Drums are played for effect. The gods may still arrive, but their voices are now scripted.

Colonial and Religious Pressures

The decline of trance rituals has deeper roots, too. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Christian missionaries and state modernization efforts often labeled shamanic practices as "superstition." Schools discouraged indigenous rituals. Christian and Hindu reformers both attacked Dhami-Jhankri traditions as backward. In regions like the eastern hills, conversion to Christianity has further accelerated the decline of trance practices, especially among younger generations who are taught to see them as incompatible with their new faith.

Even in largely Hindu communities, state-endorsed temple priesthoods have often marginalized local trance healers. The introduction of formalized religion eroded the status of indigenous shamans who once served as spiritual leaders in their villages.

Modernity and the Fragmenting of Ritual Life

Perhaps the most potent force eroding trance rituals is not religion or science—but fragmentation. Modernity breaks the collective rhythms of rural life. Migration scatters families across cities and countries. Youth are educated in systems that ignore or ridicule ancestral knowledge. The communal spaces once used for trance rituals—village squares, shared forests, ritual houses—are now privatized or urbanized.

With each generation, fewer young people learn the old chants or drum rhythms. Those who do are often pressured to abandon them for more “respectable” careers. Some shamans quietly continue their work, but many have stopped performing in public altogether. In urban areas, trance rituals are either hidden or turned into folklore.

Voices from the Mountains: What the Elders Say

In the hills of Bhojpur, an elderly Jhankri named Purna Maya Rai speaks of dreams that once guided her. “When I was fourteen, the river called me,” she says. “I became sick. No healer could cure me. Then my grandfather appeared in a dream and gave me a mantra. When I woke up, I knew I had to drum.” She has performed hundreds of healing ceremonies since—but now, none of her children want to learn. “They say it is nonsense. They want to go abroad.”

In Kaski, an old Dhami recalls the days when villagers gathered in the courtyard to watch him enter trance and channel the goddess Bhagwati. “She used to speak through me,” he says. “Now they go to hospitals or YouTube.”

These voices echo across Nepal: a chorus of loss, of knowledge not being passed on, of power fading.

Digital Preservation and Ethical Dilemmas

In recent years, filmmakers, anthropologists, and spiritual seekers have attempted to document trance rituals before they disappear completely. YouTube is now filled with footage of Dhami-Jhankri ceremonies. Academic theses have been written. Festivals in Kathmandu showcase stylized versions of trance dances. Yet this preservation raises questions—does recording a trance ritual strip it of its sacredness? Can a trance, meant to be lived and embodied, survive as video?

Some elders resist documentation altogether, arguing that the spirits do not like cameras. Others welcome the interest, hoping it will revive respect for the practice. But digitization cannot substitute for participation. Ritual is not just information—it is experience.

Reimagining Continuity: What Can Be Saved?

The vanishing of trance rituals is not inevitable. In some communities, revival is underway. In Sankhuwasabha, youth groups have begun organizing apprenticeship programs for local shamans. In Lamjung, a women’s collective funds healing ceremonies and educates villagers about their ritual significance. In Dolakha, Buddhist shamans blend trance with mindfulness, offering spiritual counseling adapted for modern life.

These reimaginings do not aim to freeze the tradition but to evolve it. They ask: can the gods still speak in a changing world? Can the Jhankri still dance, even if the rhythms are different?

The answer lies not in nostalgia but in recognition. If trance rituals are to survive, they must be acknowledged not as primitive relics but as profound cultural technologies—ways of processing grief, maintaining social cohesion, and affirming human connection to land and spirit.

Conclusion: Listening Between the Worlds

Between the waking world and the unseen lies a space few dare to enter. The Dhami-Jhankri have long walked this threshold, risking madness, bearing suffering, and channeling the voices of gods and ghosts for the sake of their people. As they fade, so too does a way of being that honored dream, intuition, and mystery.

Nepal is changing, but its mountains still echo with drumbeats. Somewhere, in a remote village, a child may still dream of water spirits and wake with a chant on their lips. It is not too late. But saving this tradition requires more than documentation—it demands listening, believing, and returning to the spaces between worlds.

Let us not allow those doors to close.

 

Gods in Hiding: The Lost Deity Worship Traditions of Masta and Kul Devtas

 

SOURCE: https://thewondernepal.com/articles/gods-in-hiding-the-lost-deity-worship-traditions-of-masta-and-kul-devtas/

"Introduction

High in the hills of western Nepal, in the mist-shrouded valleys of Achham, Bajura, Doti, and other remote regions, gods once walked among the people. They were not distant celestial beings but powerful household and village guardians—MastaKul Devtas, and a myriad of local deities—worshipped through oral prayers, sacred groves, and trance rituals. These gods, unique to families, clans, and villages, embodied the land, the ancestors, and the very spirit of communal identity.

Yet, as Nepal rushes toward urbanization, digitization, and homogenized religion, these localized spiritual practices are vanishing. Sacred forests are cleared, rituals forgotten, and spirit mediums silenced. The ancient faith systems once central to life in the hills are now hidden—replaced by formalized Hinduism or ignored altogether.

This article explores the endangered traditions of Masta and Kul Devta worship in western Nepal, their roots, roles, and rituals, and the reasons for their rapid decline. It also asks: can these divine threads be rewoven into Nepal’s modern spiritual fabric?

Who Are the Masta and Kul Devtas?

The Masta are local deities primarily worshipped in Nepal’s far-western hills. Each Masta has its own area of influence—some are worshipped in one valley, others by entire districts. These deities are neither part of the mainstream Hindu pantheon nor Buddhist lineage but are instead animistic and ancestral, often associated with natural featuresclan identity, and sacred geography.

Kul Devtas, on the other hand, are ancestral household gods worshipped by specific clans or extended families. They act as protectors, mediators of fortune, and recipients of intergenerational devotion. Though some Kul Devtas have been assimilated into broader Hinduism over time, many remain distinctly non-scriptural and ritual-specific, known only to the families who worship them.

In both cases, these deities are experienced and worshipped through oral traditionshamanic possession, and seasonal rituals rather than texts or temples.

Ritual Practices and Sacred Geography

Worship of Masta and Kul Devtas typically takes place in sacred groves (ban mandir), ancestral courtyards, or open hilltops—locations believed to be spiritual thresholds between the human and divine realms.

In a typical Masta ritual, the following elements are observed:

  • Jhankri (shaman) or Deureni (spirit medium) invokes the deity through music, drumming, and trance.
     
  • Offerings include local alcoholflowersgoat sacrifice, and Dhami Jhankri chants.
     
  • The deity is believed to enter the body of the medium, who then speaks on the deity’s behalf—blessing, diagnosing illness, or warning the village.
     

Kul Devta rituals, often held during DashainMaghe Sankranti, or ancestral feast days, involve:

  • The entire family gathering for puja at the ancestral hearth or courtyard.
     
  • Invocations that recall seven generations of ancestors.
     
  • Ritual offerings of rice, tika, jamara, incense, and occasionally blood sacrifices.
     
  • Oral recitations passed down, often in endangered local dialects.
     

Regional Examples of Masta Worship

1. Achham and Bajura: The Heartland of Masta

In Achham, nearly every village has its own Masta Ghar (god house). Some of the widely known deities include:

  • Jay Masta of Ramaroshan
     
  • Badi Masta of Mangalsen
     
  • Sitaula MastaHingal Masta, and others, each with their own legends, behaviors, and preferences
     

These gods are believed to punish villagers if neglected, causing illnessdrought, or livestock death. Thus, their worship is not only devotional—it is essential to village wellbeing.

2. Doti and Dadeldhura: Lineage of Kul Devtas

Many BrahminChhetri, and Thakuri families in Doti trace their Kul Devtas back centuries. These deities are linked to their Thars (clan surnames) and often believed to reside in ancestral hills or sacred stones.

Each family has a unique set of rituals—kept secret and passed down orally, usually from father to eldest son. Some use a living tree, a shila (stone), or even a buried weapon as the deity’s resting place.

Decline of Local Deity Worship

The decline of Masta and Kul Devta worship is not an isolated phenomenon—it reflects larger patterns of religious, social, and environmental change in Nepal.

1. Migration and Diaspora

As young people move to Kathmandu, Gulf countries, or beyond for work, fewer remain in villages to carry out elaborate seasonal rituals. Children born in cities may never witness a Masta possession ceremony or know the name of their family’s Kul Devta.

2. Religious Homogenization

The rise of formalized Brahmanical Hinduism—along with the spread of Christian missionary and Buddhist revivalist movements—has marginalized non-scriptural local practices. In many cases, villagers have been told their traditional gods are “lower” or “superstitious.”

3. Environmental Degradation

Urban expansion, road construction, and deforestation have destroyed sacred forests and natural sites tied to deity worship. In Bajura, many Masta groves have been turned into pasture or cleared for buildings.

4. Loss of Oral Transmission

With elders passing away and younger generations disconnected, the oral chants, prayers, and genealogies tied to deity worship are vanishing. Unlike written scriptures, these traditions are not archived—and once lost, cannot be easily recovered.

The Social Role of Masta and Kul Devtas

Worship of these deities once served key social functions:

  • Community Cohesion: Rituals brought entire villages together—regardless of caste or wealth.
     
  • Health and Healing: Spirit mediums diagnosed mental and physical illnesses linked to supernatural causes.
     
  • Moral Regulation: Fear of divine punishment encouraged ethical behavior and respect for elders and nature.
     
  • Cultural Identity: In a diverse landscape, local deities anchored identity in geography and lineage.
     

With their decline, these social roles often go unfulfilled or are replaced by more commercialized, fragmented, or externalized systems.

Myth, Legend, and the Living Divine

Masta and Kul Devta traditions are rich in mythological lore. Many stories involve:

  • A god appearing in a dream to an ancestor, asking to be worshipped.
     
  • divine snaketiger, or bird leading the founder to a sacred site.
     
  • battle between village gods, leading to annual appeasement ceremonies.
     
  • Oral genealogies tracing clans to semi-divine ancestors, kept alive through ritual recitation.
     

These myths are more than stories—they define territory, ritual calendars, and moral codes. The gods, in this worldview, are not above life but interwoven into it.

Revival and Preservation Efforts

Despite rapid decline, some communities and scholars are taking action to preserve these traditions:

1. Community Festivals

Villages in Bajura and Doti have begun reviving local festivals with help from youth groups and municipal governments. These festivals reintroduce music, dance, and rituals to younger generations.

2. Ethnographic Documentation

Researchers are recording oral chants, ritual practices, and genealogies in partnership with shamans and elders. Projects often include video archives, audio recordings, and publications in native languages.

3. Eco-Spiritual Protection

Sacred groves once protected by belief in local deities are now being preserved under environmental laws—acknowledging their dual ecological and spiritual significance.

4. Education in Schools

Some schools in rural areas are beginning to include lessons about local history and indigenous belief systems, helping children take pride in their own heritage.

The Urgency of Recognition

Without state recognition, Masta and Kul Devta traditions risk permanent disappearance. Nepal's focus on protecting temples and mainstream festivals has often ignored these invisible, oral, and land-bound forms of worship.

The following steps can help:

  • Legal recognition of oral traditions as cultural heritage
     
  • Preservation of sacred sites and groves
     
  • Support for intergenerational transmission of rituals
     
  • Respectful inclusion of local deities in national narratives—not as “superstition,” but as indigenous cosmology
     

Conclusion

The gods of Nepal’s hills are hiding—but not gone. They still whisper through the wind in the forests of Achham, stir in the stone shrines of Doti, and call through the dreams of aging shamans.

Masta and Kul Devta worship may not be found in temples or scriptures, but they embody the heartbeat of ancestral Nepal—a spiritual system where land, lineage, and life were indivisible. Their loss is not just a spiritual erosion—it is a cultural amnesia, a silencing of voices that once guided people through every birth, illness, harvest, and death.

To remember them, and to restore their place, is to reclaim a Nepal rooted in the land, not just the calendar—where the gods are still alive, waiting to be welcomed home."

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Magar Bhasa V

With the love & affection you guys have shown to my Magar Bhasa series, I would like to continue the series. And its also nice to see lot of young Magars showing interest in their ancestors language. Here, I would also be including few of the most demanded and seek sentences. So lets start.


Ngai nakoke maya jatlang. / Ngai nakoke jakle.

Ma timi lai maya garchu.

I love you. 


Ngai nakoke dherai maya jatlang.

Ma timi lai dherai maya garchu.

I love you so much.


Naye ngake kudik maya jatle ? / Naye ngake kudik jakle ?

Timile malai kati maya garchau? 

How much you love me?


Nang kus aala? / Nako su ala ?

Timi ko ho ?

Who are you ?


Nang holk aanai ? Nang holk aanani ?

Timi tyaha janchau ?

Will you go there ?


Kat-thai aaning.

Sangai jaam.

We well go together.


Ngake chindi-nani?

Malai chinchau ?

 Do you know me ?


Hos kus aala?

Tyo ko ho?

Who is he?


Seu jyanani?

Seu khanchau?

Do you like to have apple?


Di ganani?

Pani khanchau?

Do you want water?


Ilak muni.

Yahan basa.

Sit here.


Aab he jatke la?

Aab ke garne ho?

Whats next?


Mis-sin- g.

Sutam.

let's sleep.


Ilak rahani.

yeta aaunus.

Come here.


He jyakela?

Ke khane ho?

What do you have?


Hike sheh-reng-chala?

Timi kina khusi chau?

Why are you happy?


Na rap-ni.

Na runu.

Don't cry.


Nanko dherai seha-cha le.

Timi dherai ramri chau.

You are so beautiful.


Kulak ha-wa-cha la?

Kahan hineko ho?

Where are you going?


Kunch-le?

Kasto cha?

How is it?


Kudik nga-ak cha-la.

Kati bole ko ho.

You doing too much talking.


Imang ha-wa-ni.

Bhara hinda.

Let's go home.


Chhi-ning namas rah-hale.

Aaja pani aaucha.

Today, it will rain.


Ngai ma-jaak-lang.

Maile rucha-uun nna.

I don't like it.


Hos raakni.

Tyo dinus.

Give that to me.


Chhi-nning juh'ham mal-le.

Aja chiso cha.

Today its cold.


Chhi-nning khan ma-le.

Aja garam cha.

Today its hot.


Nga-ke hosni na.

malai bhannu na.

Please tell me.


Chhi-nning  bhati-haar jatke la.

Aja bhatiyar garne ho.

Today we will have social catering.


Ngai sa-ya jaklang.

Malai masu maan parcha.

I love to have meats.


Kudik kara- ang-cha-la.

Kati thulo ho.

Its so big.


Kudik ma-har-cha-la.

Kati sano ho.

Its so small.


Kudik ghang-cha-la.

Kati aaglo ho.

Its so tall.


Kudik yah ke-la?

Kati dine ho?

How much to give / pay?


Ma-chaan-ne ra?

Hunna ra?

Is it ok?


Hee-ke aauli?

Kina ho ra?

For what?


Ngai pa-ha ma-nang.

Maile sikdai chu.

I am learning.


Hee lo le la?

Ke kinne ho?

Anything to buy?


Di soh-na.

Tirkha layo.

Feeling thirsty.


Bhu-ruka.

Udayo.

Blowing away.


Chhi-nning pi-hin aap-paha-rinning.

Aaja bholi niparsi.

Today tomorrow day-after.


That's all for now. Hope you guys to see you soon. Cheers !!! 



 


Sunday, June 22, 2025

SPIRITUALITY vs PHILOSOPHY vs SCIENCE

As today I was going through my mobile I have come across this beautiful article. The detail of the article has compel me to think on some of the things related to spirituality & philosophy. But, first go through this interesting article, I have mentioned the source if anyone ones to check the original website. The article was written by Edwin O.

"Goodbye to universe as we know — Experts find “clues” of computer-like behavior