Abstract

The Indian Himalaya is a cultural borderland situated at the social, religious and artistic crossroads between India, Tibet and Central Asia. In the valleys of the Himalaya we are confronted with a mixture of Hindu, Buddhist and indigenous religions (also mountain and tree worship), the latter sometimes identified with Bon. The emergence of different cults and their development in this area are difficult to trace back to certain events or personalities; popular legends and local traditions provide only vague information without any historical evidence. Pilgrimage, however, has always played a pivotal role in the ritual practices of Hinduism and Buddhism. Thus, several important pilgrimage routes and centres have emerged in the North-Indian region. This poster will give a brief overview of some ancient but still important pilgrimage routes in the Western Himalayan region and will especially focus on the establishment of pilgrimage sites for both, Buddhists and Hindus, with the intention of highlighting the fluid nature between the ritual practice and the artistic tradition of these two religious groups.