Ritual Journeys in South Asia

Ritual Journeys in South Asia was published in 2019 by Routledge as part of their series on religion and society. The book originated from Jürgen Schaflechner's extensive ethnographic field research, specifically focusing on the pilgrimage practices associated with the Hinglaj Mata temple in Pakistan. It serves as an academic examination of how religious identity and mobility intersect within the complex socio-political landscape of South Asia, aiming to provide a nuanced look at border-crossing rituals that remain under-studied in conventional academic discourse.

The work was designed to bridge the gap between anthropological theory and localized religious practice, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that blends historical context with contemporary observation. Schaflechner emphasizes the performative nature of the pilgrimage, investigating how the physical act of traveling to sacred sites functions as a mechanism for constructing communal memory. Upon its release, the book was received by scholars as a significant contribution to the study of South Asian religion, particularly for its ability to navigate the sensitivities of transnational pilgrimage in the modern era.