Rites of Passage in Ismailis: A Case Study of Chatorkhand Valley

Abstract

The present study was conducted to highlight the rites of passage such as birth, marriage and death that influence the transition of an individual in a community. Rites of passage are the ceremonial events through which an individual move from one status to another. There are many types of celebrations in our lives but these are the rites of birth, funeral and marriage are the most important human developmental stages that we culturally celebrate. Celebrations are very distinctive and significant in every culture that reflects values that are important in a given culture. The current research explores these major rites of passage and how rituals and ceremonies help create logic that how different cultures distinctively celebrate a change in position or status in society. This study aims to describe the numerous rites of passage of the Ismaili community in the Chatorkhand Valley. The data was obtained through in-depth interviews and analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. The purposive sampling technique had been used by the researcher. A total of 12 interviews were conducted and only female members of the community were selected. The age of the respondents was 30 – 55 from Chatorkhand Valley. The current study finds that ceremonial events are the most important elements of culture in society, creating a social network for uniting the community.It is a way to maintain social relations, strengthen social ties and hold together a society. In this social network, people developed strong relationships that ultimately lead to creating unity and solidarity in the society which is helpful in the formation of culture.