Mapping a South Asian Sacred Journey

Abstract From at least the sixteenth century, bilampau—horizontal, scroll-like paintings recounting mythological tales—were produced in Nepal. They typically comprise two or three registers where the narrative unfolds sequentially from left to right, top to bottom. A bilampau from circa 1800 is distinctive in that it portrays the pilgrimage—undertaken to this day—to the holy lake of Gosainkund. My article analyzes this singular work of art and imagines how viewers might have engaged with it. It probes how the format of this painting lends itself to the creation of a sacred map, with towns, rivers, and monuments plotted in relation to each other as they might be encountered on a journey. Like the pilgrims in the painting who make their way north through the Kathmandu Valley, the bilampau invites viewers to walk along its length in the direction of Gosainkund; they may choose to stop at any of the numerous sacred spots scattered throughout the landscape. The remnants of ritual substances smeared and sprinkled on the deity represented within the holy lake are still visible, suggesting the painting was once an icon and that worshipping it was perhaps a potent stand-in for a physical pilgrimage.