Journalist Asked to Stop Filming at Temple

Sonya Dutta Choudhury, a journalist based in Mumbai, India, attended a morning celebration for the Goddess Hadimba at a Himalayan temple in Manali. She describes the vibrant sounds and sights of the ritual—conch shells, drums, and brass trumpets filling the air. Dutta Choudhury reflects on her desire to capture the moment, then immediately recognizes the impropriety of doing so when an older man gestures for her to put her phone away.

She considers her attempts to respectfully blend in with local customs, debating whether wearing a traditional headscarf would be appropriate. The article details various origin stories of the goddess Hadimba, ranging from connections to the sage Manu to her depiction in the Mahabharata as the wife of Bhima. Dutta Choudhury notes how these stories often position Hadimba as an outsider redeemed by a mainstream figure.

She later reads The Many Faces of a Himalayan Goddess by Ehud Halperin, appreciating its nuanced portrayal of the deity. The author acknowledges that fully understanding the goddess remains an ongoing process of research and interpretation.