Heredity and Refusal of the Shamanic Calling among the Buddhist Dards in Ladakh
Cultural and Historical Heritage: Preservation, Presentation, Digitalization June 30, 2026 DOI: 10.55630/kinj.2026.120102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Brogpa community in Ladakh, India |
| Topics | Buddhism Shamanism |
| Key findings | Argues that refusal of the shamanic vocation is a key mechanism in the hereditary transmission of the role among lhaba and lhamo, as the deity is expelled from the chosen recipient and moves to another kin member. This process reveals how divine presence is intertwined with social and blood relationships. |
Abstract
This article focuses on the connection between the refusal of the shamanic vocation and its hereditary transference with lhaba and lhamo – shamanic religious specialists who embody deities known as lha during organized ritual séances. Drawing on ethnographic material collected from the Brogpa community in Ladakh, India, I examine the nature of lha as a presence deeply woven into social and blood kinships. Often, the religious function associated with the embodiment of these deities is transmitted from one individual to another precisely through refusal of the call and the expulsion of the deity from the body of its chosen recipient. By tracing instances of successful and failed refusal of the shamanic vocation, the article contributes to a broader understanding of agency, obligation, and the moral logic of divine embodiment in the Western Himalayas.