Tunsuriban: Shamanism in the Chepang of Southern and Central Nepal
Author: Diana Riboli, Translated by Philippa Currie
Category: Shamanism   
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About  .

The Book

Diana Riboli, born in Italy, Ph. D. in Ethno-Anthropological Science, has been carrying out programme of research in Nepal for more than ten years.

During this time she has undertaken many field expeditions, six of which came under auspices of the Italian State National Centre for Research (C.N.R), within the framework of a research project into the condition of ecstasy in the Himalayas.

This volume represents the culmination of her research and also forms the basis of her Ph. D. thesis for the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza.’

She has previously published many articles in different well known European reviews and has been a contributing author in the book ‘Tremore e Potere. La condizione estatica nello sciamanismo Himalayan,’ published in Italy in 1995.

Her present work focuses on one of the lesser known ethnic groups of Nepal: the Chepang and more particularly on the form of Shamanism practiced within this group.

Until approximately twenty years ago, the chepang were nomadic hunters and gatherers but now due to dramatic changes in their life style, they live under what might be considered very difficult conditions.

The situation in which this ethnic group finds itself at present on the one hand the Chepang are seen by many people as outcasts at best and more often as Untouchables through the Pande – the Chepang shaman – are held in great esteem being considered among the most powerful shamans in Nepal. The Chepang pande call themselves tunsuriban, a word which describes their faculty to move freely in both the celestial and chtonious kingdoms.

The whole life of the chepang revolves round the presence of the pande who is the key figure in the community. He, or she, is responsible for communicating with the sprits, gods and forefathers and he is also a diviner, therapist and psychopomp.

The study of this ethnic group which hardly any projects have dealt with required many years of intense field work and involved more than thirty pande.