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

Having personally lived in Manali briefly during my childhood, vivid descriptions of the valley and its people particularly spoke to me

Shamans of the Himalayas

Author: Anu Malhotra

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