Gods on the Move: Ritual Experience and the Formation of Dynamic Divine Presence in the Western Himalaya

Local myths and lived theology in the Western Himalaya reveal that local village deities are perceived to be present in the world not only in spirit, grace, or power, but as embodied individual beings who physically roam the landscape at will. Through an examination of ethnographic data, the study contends that this perception is significantly influenced by unique and locally popular palanquin rituals. Employing Birgit Meyer’s concept of sensational forms, the analysis delves into various aspects of these rituals, demonstrating their role in shaping a shared sensory experience of local deities as dynamic, embodied agents present and active in the physical world. This experience reaffirms the theology and further projects this perception onto additional everyday realms and media.