The Nava Durgā (Bhaktapur, Nepal) on social media during the pandemic: the influence of mediatization on ritual performance

The Nava Durgā are the nine manifestations of the Hindu goddess Durgā. In Bhaktapur (Nepal) among the Newar people, groups of men from the lower Gāthā caste have been reincarnating the goddesses in a mask dance since 1512, accompanied by traditional music with a sacred significance. The religious character of the performance requires the observation of a set of strict rules both by the members of the Nava Durgā community and by devotees. Until a decade ago, taking photos or videos of the performance was considered a violation of sanctity. However, during the pandemic there has been a boom in the publication of Nava Durgā performances on social media, in videos taken and published both by the public and by community members. This dramatic change in attitude reflects several needs: to meet the religious requirements of devotees, to promote Newar culture bringing in more profit for the tourism industry, to favour improvements in the status of the community. The phenomenon generates conflicting reactions. On the one hand, the high visibility of the performance on social media is seen as necessary for the community, as evidenced by the significant increase in novice dancers in the current year. On the other hand, online publication is seen as a decline in belief and an erosion of the community’s values, particularly because social media violate the holy nature of the dance and The paper will present the results of my field research in Bhaktapur (since 2017, ongoing) and analyse some videos published during the pandemic, discussing the role of social media in this ritual performance and the complex dynamics created by publication on the internet. Two short videos will be presented during the talk: one produced by local people, and another, on their extended use of digital equipment, realized by myself during my field research.