Sacred Neolithic Artifacts in khas/ kirat Shamanic Rituals in along Sub Himalayan region including Sikkim
Hari Dutt Sharma, Saurabh Kumar Singh, Padam Sharma, Ram Sharma
Advanced International Journal for Research December 24, 2025 DOI: 10.63363/aijfr.2025.v06i06.2338 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Synthesis of archaeological evidence and ethnographic observations Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Khas and Kirat peoples of Sikkim, Darjeeling, eastern Nepal, and Bhutan |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Prehistory Ethnography Context archaeology Ancestor Trance Identity music Archaeological evidence Agrarian society Ethnology Anthropology Ancient history Maroon Indigenous Traditional knowledge Cultural identity Subsistence agriculture Statue |
| Key findings | Neolithic stone tools are actively used in contemporary shamanic rituals by Khas and Kirat peoples, serving as sacred objects that mediate human-nature relationships and preserve cultural identity. |
Abstract
This article explores how the Khas and Kirat peoples of the sub-Himalayan region including Sikkim, Darjeeling, eastern Nepal, and Bhutan continue to use sacred Neolithic artifacts in their shamanic rituals. Through a synthesis of archaeological evidence and ethnographic observations, it traces the integration of prehistoric stone tools such as polished axes, adzes, celts, perforated harvesters, sling balls, and ring stones into contemporary spiritual practices. These artifacts, crafted from materials like dolerite, quartzite, and slate, originate from the Eastern Indian Neolithic tradition (circa 10,000 BCE), exhibiting typological affinities with Hoabinhian cultures of Southeast Asia and South China, and were uncovered at 29 sites in Sikkim's East and North districts during surveys in the 1980s–2000s. Held only by ritual experts (Mangpa or Dhami among Kirat Tibeto-Burman communities like Rai, Limbu, and Lepcha; Jhakri among Khas Indo-Aryan groups like Chhetri and Bahun), these implements are revered as divine thunderbolts (Vajra dunga) that "fall from heaven," signifying cosmic harmony, fertility, and ancestral agrarian origins. In shamanic ceremonies like the Kirat festivals of Ubhauli (spring ascent for cultivation) and Udhauli (winter descent), or the Khas Masta Puja (invocations for soil health and protection), the artifacts facilitate trance states, offerings to nature spirits, and rituals blending animism, ancestor worship, and ecological wisdom. In the context of terraced farming and shifting cultivation (Jhum), the study emphasizes their dual spiritual and practical significance in mediating human-nature relationships. Amid declining folk traditions due to socio-economic shifts, this analysis underscores the artifacts' role in preserving cultural identity and intangible heritage, advocating for interdisciplinary efforts to document and safeguard these ancient symbols of Himalayan shamanism. Amid declining folk traditions due to socio-economic shifts, this analysis underscores the artifacts' role in preserving cultural identity and intangible heritage, advocating for interdisciplinary efforts to document and safeguard these ancient symbols of Himalayan shamanism.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |