The Inner and Outer Selves: Cosmology, Gender, and Ecology at the Himalayas Borders

The Inner and Outer Selves is an ethnographic study on a small group of pastoralists and erstwhile trans-border traders in the Himalayas, the Jad Bhotiyas. It presents an anthropological perspective on trans- border trade and the changing locus of identity in the aftermath of the Indo-Tibetan border closure. From the study of a small community, the book deliberates on the more universal concepts of nationalism, identity, democracy, and borders between self and others-both metaphoric and real. The book discusses the qualitative aspects of the lives of men and especially women, their world-view, aspirations, and adaptation to the changing environment.

This monograph also focuses on how in constructing their identity, the Bhotiyas relate to and navigate their physical surroundings and conceptualize the surrounding ecological landscape in their lives.