Sacred Stones and Ritual Landscapes: Material Culture and Oral Tradition in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract (English)

Sacred Stones and Ritual Landscapes: Material Culture and Oral Tradition in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract
This research examines the sacred stones of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India, as material assemblage within a broader ritual landscape shaped by the Apatani community's cosmological and ecological worldview. Central to this study is the concept of ui, a dynamic spiritual force believed to inhabit not only ritual practices but also animate the material world — including stones, trees, crafted objects, and specific locations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, ritual observation, and oral histories, the study explores how material forms such as stones serve as vital mediators in Apatani ritual life, where meaning is generated through the interaction of people, places, objects, and spiritual entities.
A key focus is the concept of Khalo, often associated with Su Myoro — sacred sites and features of the landscape imbued with spiritual presence. Twenty such sacred stones were documented, falling into three broad morphological categories: natural stones, human modified stones, and mobile or artifactual remains. These stones are actively invoked during healing rituals, festivals, and ceremonies, not merely as passive objects but as animate participants in a dense semiotic and spiritual web. Ritual specialists (Ngibu) engage with these sites through chants, offerings, and ceremonial journeys, reinforcing both cultural memory and ecological ties.
The findings reveal an animistic worldview in which stones and other material elements are embedded within a living landscape of spiritual and historical depth. By tracing how sacred geographies, oral traditions, and material culture converge in Apatani life, this research contributes to broader anthropological discussions on ritual continuity, indigenous knowledge systems, and the evolving relationships between people and place.

Ungka Padi
PhD Student
IIT Gandhinagar
Email: padiungka@iitgn.ac.in
Mobile: 9582708739