The Occult Himalayas

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.

- NEHA KIRPAL

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 practiced by villagers in the picturesque Kullu valley.

The Shamans of the Himalayas began in 2008 when Ms. Malhotra encountered a shaman of Hadimba Devi in a divine possession trance during a celebratory mela in Manali. Ms. Malhotra decided to document this culture and learn more about it. Ms. Malhotra was soon swept into the mystical world of Goors — powerful shamans who serve as mediums of the Devta — oracles, trance mediums, exorcists, doctors, astrologers, counselors, psychotherapists, life coaches, spiritual guides, practitioners of magic, and healers. It was astonishing indeed for her to see Goors go into a trance, allowing the spirit of the Devi or Devta to enter their bodies and communicate with people through them. Ms. Malhotra went on to unravel many sacred rituals, magico-religious practices and traditional healing modalities — many of which had never been documented before.