'The Sacred Town of Sankhu: the Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion, and Society in Nepal' by Bal Gopal Shrestha

HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 34 Number 2 Article 24 2014 Review of 'The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion, and Society in Nepal' by Bal Gopal Shrestha Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Vantine Birkenholtz, Jessica. 2014. Review of 'The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion, and Society in Nepal' by Bal Gopal Shrestha. HIMALAYA 34(2). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol34/iss2/24 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This Review is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ...a significant contribution toward climate change adaptation research. Pasang Yangjee Sherpa on Climate Change Modeling for Local Adaptation in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region environmental dangers are a social with communities engaged around The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The construct that are invisible to climate all stages of generating, interpreting, Anthropology of Newar Ritual, models. Therefore, they argue that and applying the result” (p. 233). Religion, and Society in Nepal. having a “professional ear ” (p. 69) Pasang Yangjee Sherpa is an anthropologist that listens to the concerns of the Bal Gopal Shrestha. Newcastle at Penn State University. She studies local communities that are rarely upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars climate change impact on the Sherpas of heard, and the translations that Publishing, 2012. Xxv, 615 pages. ISBN the Mt. Everest region in Nepal. respect their concerns, is necessary 9781443837705. as we continue to address climate change vulnerability and adaptation Reviewed by Jessica Vantine issues. Such works differ in character Birkenholtz and approach from climate models In The Sacred Town of Sankhu: and arguably should come ahead The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, of attempts to use model results to Religion, and Society in Nepal, Bal propose adaptive responses. The Gopal Shrestha has undertaken the professional ear, they argue, needs impressive task of detailing the ritual the greatest training and application, life of Sankhu, a ‘traditional’ Newar “learning to listen to and translate what town located eighteen kilometers people report into actions that best northeast of Kathmandu. Sankhu serve their needs and to which they can boasts a notable history in the contribute intelligently” (p. 69). Kathmandu Valley as a commercial The editors of this book point out center on the overland trading route that their critical assessments and to Tibet. After the construction in remarks are expected to assist in the late 1950s of roads that bypassed evaluation and refinement of climate the town, Sankhu’s political and change adaptation and disaster risk economic import in the Valley waned. reduction initiatives and thereby Nevertheless, Sankhu continues increase effectiveness. They argue to be a culturally and religiously that this book summarizes and prominent town today on account of presents the challenges of applying its rich Newar heritage, traditions, results from climate change modeling and festivals, thirty-four of which but that it does not present a one- Shrestha describes at length. Many of size-fits-all solution that will close these traditions revolve around the the modeling-to-adaptation gap. goddess Vajrayogini, the patron deity of Sankhu whose main temple resides The book then concludes that “to on the hilltop overlooking the town achieve the best of both modeling and who is worshipped widely by and climate change adaptation Nepal’s Hindus and Buddhists alike. requires thoughtful and patient application of modeling, tailored to local needs, conditions, and politics, 142 | HIMALAYA Fall 2014 Specifically, Shrestha aims to associations (si guthis), the role to demonstrate the ways in which demonstrate that Sankhu is a of socio-religious associations in certain aspects of local ritual and “ritually defined universe in its own Sankhu, and Sankhu’s ritual cycle of practice may function outside the right” (p. 10) and, moreover, argues feasts and festivals. Three of these realm of worldly concern, while that despite being an urban-oriented feasts and festivals, which Shrestha others are nonetheless subject to society, it is “not defined by socio- identifies as Sankhu’s most important such mundane realities. Rankin’s economic features but by [its] ritual religious traditions, are highlighted work on Sankhu, for instance, practice” (p. 9). In this, his work and treated separately: the festival of illustrates the social, cultural, calls to mind Robert Levy’s study of Svanti; the fast of Madhav Narayana and political embeddedness of its Bhaktapur in his 1990 book Mesocosm and the legend of Svasthani; and markets and the “social, emotional, (Berkeley: Regents of the University the cult of the goddess Vajrayogini. and economic interdependencies,” of California). Although two other The discussion of Vajrayogini in fact driven by “networks of obligations” studies have focused on Sankhu (a spans three chapters and covers (ibid., p. 195), that similarly inform 2002 report entitled Ancient Town the central role of the goddess in its ritual universe. Additionally, the Sankhu: A Study of History, Culture, the daily and yearly ritual cycle of bulk of Shrestha’s data is based on a Art, and Architecture submitted to Sankhu locals, the rituals performed town-wide social survey conducted UNESCO and Katherine Rankin’s The at her temple, her annual procession, in 1997 that focused on aspects of Cultural Politics of Markets: Economic and the Devi dances associated with the ritual and social lives of locals. Liberalization and Social Change in Nepal her. Shrestha’s in-depth account of Shrestha has been back to Sankhu (Toronto: University of Toronto Vajrayogini leaves little doubt as to numerous times in the years since Press, 2004)), Shrestha’s is the first her preeminent position in the local completing his dissertation (upon published monograph to offer a divine hierarchy and ritual calendar. which this book is based) in 2002; comprehensive study of the town’s Sankhu is in fact where Shrestha The Sacred Town of Sankhu succeeds in annual cycle of rituals and festivals. was born and raised. Though he has illustrating the ritually-driven nature made an effort to update his work, Shrestha’s survey of Sankhu’s ritual of not only Sankhu’s calendar, but the updates are uneven and are at and religious life is exhaustive. Over its identity and community. Though, times rushed and in want of more the course of six hundred pages Shrestha’s further claim that Sankhu, detailed consideration. Nepal has and sixteen chapters, he covers a as a “ritual universe in its own right,” experienced great political, social, range of focused topics. He begins has “ceremonial rather than socio- and economic turmoil in the last two with two broader chapters, one economically defined features” decades in the wake of the Maoist on ritual calendars in Nepal and (p. 523) is less well substantiated. insurgency (1996-2006) and the fall of the other on Newar culture and An implicit theme throughout his the Nepali monarchy in 2008. While society, which offer context and discussion of the local organizations, Sankhu was not, to my knowledge, background for the subsequent foray rituals, and festivals is the ways in a site of notable Maoist activity, it into the specificities of Sankhu. In which these traditions have been nevertheless would be relevant to the following seven chapters, he impacted, often negatively, by shifts address the local impact experienced covers Sankhu’s mythological and in the social and economic fortunes as a result of these events; this is historical accounts, topographical of the town and its inhabitants. What especially so after the fall of the features, socio-economic features, could strengthen his argument would monarchy and with regard to those castes and caste-bound duties be to engage these socio-economic local rituals that historically received and religious affiliations, funeral issues more directly in his analysis royal patronage in some form. HIMALAYA Volume 34, Number 2 | 143 Shrestha… succeeds in illustrating the ritually-driven nature of not only Sankhu’s calendar, but its identity and community. Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz on The Sacred Town of Sankhu Shrestha’s The Sacred Town of Sankhu inhabitants of Sankhu will continue Routeing Democracy in the nevertheless makes a significant practicing their traditions despite Himalayas: Experiments and contribution to the study of Nepal’s the growing attraction of modernity Experiences. Newars with an updated examination and globalization” (p. 528). What will of Newar life and culture that be interesting to see are the ways in Vibha Arora and N. Jayaram, eds. builds on Gopal Singh Nepali’s which or degree to which modernity New Delhi: Routledge, 2013. 303 groundbreaking study entitled The and globalization impact or alter the pages. ISBN 9780415811996. Newars (Kathmandu: Himalayan practice and so possibly the meaning Book Sellers, 1965) and Gérard or purpose of these traditions. Reviewed

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