Linking Body, Memory, and Divine Embodiment: Two Cases of Ritual Healers from the Garhwal Himalaya

This article examines two case studies from the Central Himalayan region of Garhwal. The paper traces the transformative journeys of Kamlesh, the current pujārī (priest) of the Rājrājeshwarī Devī temple in Kandara village, and Rajeshwari, a bakkyā (oracle) in Mansuna village, both situated in the Garhwal region of the Central Himalaya. It delves into the processes that led Kamlesh to become a pujārī (priest) and Rajeshwari to become a bakkyā (oracle). The paper explores embodiment and memory in the context of divinization in the Garhwal Himalaya in North India. The authors argue that divinization is the articulation of a local form of embodied memory through which people experience a heightened sense of well-being and power. Divinization is a culturally meaningful way of re-establishing social relations between the individual whom the deity embodies, the deity, and the community, reinforcing divine presence. Rather than pathologizing the experiences of divinization, the two case studies demonstrate that becoming a healer shapes their being-in-the world, with the power to enhance the well-being of both the healer and the healed. By analyzing these two cases, the authors emphasize the connection between embodiment, memory, and the cultural significance of divinization in the region.