Mata Devī overlooking Chhitkul village. © Philippe Antoine Martinez, 02/11/2018.

​Chhitkul is located on the bank of the Baspa River. In the distance, Thola peak is partly concealed by the cloud cover. The grandiose scenery is the abode of roaming spirits - Kalis and Sauning - in control of the elements. Mata Devī is the medium for goat sacrifice, the aim of which is to appease the malevolent entities coveting the craggy terrain. The Baspa River is also the sacred site where holy men performing ritual functions at the temple take a holy bath - with cow urine, dung, and milk - to stay pure. 

​Mata Devī, one of the local deities, is the most prominent agent of social cohesion in Chhitkul village. She is brought to the heights of the village during November before going into retreat for the whole winter – until April. The deity is incarnated by means of wooden palanquins, a crown of yak hair, silver and copper masks made by local blacksmiths, and some colourful drapery. Mata Devī came from Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) during the 14th or 15th century at the earliest. Taking altitude, she takes possession of the mountainous space as part of a syncretism whereby Hinduism and Buddhism also have their share in the spiritual ecology.

The Baspa River - Chhitkul village. © Philippe Antoine Martinez, 13/04/2019.

Philippe Antoine Martinez is a PhD candidate at SOAS University of London. His PhD thesis deals with Chhitkul-Rākchham, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh - Northern India. The two pictures were taken during a ten-month field trip (September 2018-June 2019). The documentation of Chhitkul-Rākchham has been supported by a grant from the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP). Here is a link to the collection: https://www.elararchive.org/dk0544.

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