A Reimagining of Sikkim’s Sacred Landscapes

A Reimagining of Sikkim’s Sacred Landscapes: Narratives of Conflict and Controversy:
Using the Buddhist sacred landscapes of Sikkim as a case study, this lecture examines the relationship between conflict and controversy in narratives concerning the conversion and establishment of sacred sites. Drawing primarily on ethnographic research embedded in the daily lives of Lhopo Buddhists, the presentation explores the belief narratives surrounding the transformation of the sacred landscape, driven by both natural and man-made disasters. It aims to demonstrate how local communities negotiate their beliefs and rituals, adapting to changes by creating new sacred spaces. In this process, the materiality of religious practices—embodied in altars, shrines, and ritual objects—plays a central role in transforming the landscape. By establishing new physical manifestations of their faith, these communities reshape their environment into a conflicted site of religious and cultural significance.