[Reader-list] shaman in the city - first posting

[e lama]

hello everybody
i am gyaltsen lama, fine art teacher, Tashi Namgyal Academy, Gangtok Sikkim.


SHAMAN IN THE CITY

This is my first posting for my project titled: Shaman in the city. This
project aims at documenting the lives of Shamans in Gangtok.
Shamans are known by many names "Bijuwa" "Jhakri" "Dhami", and were a part
of everyday life in Gangtok. They were the medicine men, soothsayers,
protectors of clans, binders of malignant spirits and counteracted harmful
magic. With the ever increasing popularity of modern technology shamanism
faces a slow but certain extinction.
Shamans are still around in Gangtok, some work as labourers, others find
some kind of odd jobs to earn their keep. They survive disguised yet proud
of the heritage they carry.
Research will include interviews with shamans, their relatives and friends.
Local anthropologists will be consulted to verify the researched materials.
An hour long interview has been recorded with a Shaman from Sichey area.
Arjun Rai is a 36 year old Shaman who hails from Darjeeling. He works as a
labourer and heals people in his spare time.

Here is a short description of a shaman communicating with the spirit of a
departed soul.

The shaman begins chanting, accompanying himself with a little drum or bell.
He dances, first slowly, then faster and faster, and, finally, trembles
convulsively. A being of another world, god, demon or spirit of a dead
person, has taken possession of him. In a kind of frenzy he utters broken
sentences, which are supposed to convey that which the invisible being
wishes to communicate.
What the departed soul usually communicates is a long list of sufferings and
misfortunes in the next world. Often the spirit of the dead person cries out
that he or she has been taken captive by a demon, and pleads to be set free.
At this point another practitioner, the sorcerer, steps in. He enters a
trance, and his "double" sets out on a long, arduous journey to the dwelling
place of the demon. The bystanders see the shaman struggling, panting and
screaming, and know that he is wrestling with the demon in his attempts to
free the captive spirit


The final product will be a graphic novel with a total of 80 pages. 4
Shamans will be documented and 20 pages ill be dedicated to each individual.



suggestions are welcome

Gyaltsen Lama
Fine art teacher
Tashi Namgyal Academy
Gangtok, Sikkim 737101
gyaltsenlama at yahoo.com
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