PUBLICATIONS
Trance, Ritual and Rhythm: The Cult of Mahasu Deota in the Western Himalayas
This study draws on fieldwork in Hanol, a Jaunsari village in India’s Western Himalayas, examining daily puja rituals where drumming shapes social and spiritual life. Hereditary Bajgi musicians perform talas that summon the deity into oracles, negotiating identity alongside Brahmin priests. Using ethnographic methods, the book explores belief, performance, participation, and music as embodied knowledge within ritual space and memory.
Bihu Festival of Assam: Music, Dance & Performance
Dotara
This article traces the cultural migration of the Dotara across Asia, positioning Assam as a historic crossroads of musical exchange. Through ethnographic research, organological analysis, and historical sources, it links Assamese Dotara traditions with Central Asian instruments via Silk Road networks. The study reveals how spiritual practice, nomadic culture, and guru-based transmission shaped the Dotara’s form, performance, and enduring role in Assam’s folk and devotional music.
Eight States, Endless Traditions
Destination NE India
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