The Newars of Sikkim. Reinventing Language, Culture and Identity in the Diaspora

On Tuesday 10 February, Dr Bal Gopal Shrestha will present his book The Newars of Sikkim. Reinventing Language, Culture and Identity in the Diaspora.

This monograph presents not only an ethnographic description but also a detailed analysis of the processes and ritual activities through which the Newar population in the state of Sikkim (India) (re-)constructs its sociocultural identity in a diaspora context. Dealing with the history and the present socio-economic position of the Newars in Sikkim, the author discusses the various transformations taking place when observing religious rituals, feasts and festivals, performing life cycle and death rituals.

Dr Shrestha holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Leiden University. Currently, he is a research fellow at the University of Oxford and a visiting fellow at IIAS, which he also visited in 2001-2002, as a J. Gonda Fellow. In 2003, the University of Cambridge (UK) awarded him a Frederick Williamson Memorial Fund, and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centro Incontri Umani, Ascona, Switzerland from 2004-2006. Dr Shrestha was a researcher and Assistant Professor at Leiden University from 2006-2008, where he taught Politics of South and Southeast Asia. 

Invitation to attend
IIAS cordially invites everyone interested to join this presentation. If you would like to attend, please register using the form below. Lunch is included!

Book ordering information
The Newars of Sikkim. Reinventing Language, Culture and Identity in the Diaspora can be ordered from Amazon and from Vajra Publications
Publisher: Vajra Books (2015); ISBN-10: 9937623332; ISBN-13: 978-9937623339