Vol. 8 No. 1 (2025)
JOURNAL ON TOURISM & SUSTAINABILITY

Papers

Mahasu Devta, Shamanism, And Cultural Heritage: Assessing The Scope Of Spiritual And Cultural Tourism In Himachal Pradesh

Published 2025-07-22

  • Nitin Vyas
    • ,
  • Priti R Nagal
    • ,
  • Aniket Dhanda

Nitin Vyas
Himachal Pradesh University Shimla

Priti R Nagal
Himachal Pradesh University Shimla

Aniket Dhanda
Himachal Pradesh University Shimla

Abstract

The cultural and spiritual identity of Himachal Pradesh has been shaped by Shamanistic traditions for centuries. One of the most visible and lived demonstrations of indigenous spirituality is the worship of Mahasu Devta. This research explores the possibilities for developing spiritual tourism in Himachal Pradesh through the Shamanistic practices of Mahasu Devta, paying careful attention to the spiritual dimension, as well as the cultural dimension, of those practices. What sets Mahasu Devta apart, in addition to being a living example of indigenous spirituality, is not only the richness of the cultural experiences which provide cultural participation, the rituals, festivals, oral traditions and folk-art, but also that it enriches visitor participation and contributes to the heritage preservation. This article demonstrates how embracing spiritual and cultural tourism together creates sustainable, community-based models that include relevant experiences for visitors and positively impact residents. This paper critically examines the viability of developing spiritual tourism in Himachal Pradesh through an ethnographic and cultural study of the Shamanistic practices of Mahasu Devta. The worship of Mahasu devta is rooted in the indigenous spiritual system known as Dev Niti and is one of the few living expressions of pre-Vedic ritualism tied to governance, divine territoriality, and oral mythos of a community. The article demonstrates that Mahasu Devta's ritual ecology—a complex of divine trances (Dev Vani), symbolic acts of justice, and vibrant community festivals that has the potential to facilitate a type of spiritual tourism that is different than the pilgrimage, religious tourism or managed spiritual tourism.

Keywords

Dev Niti, Himachal Pradesh, Indigenous Rituals, Mahasu Devta, Shamanism, Spiritual Tourism

Full Paper

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