Urban Ritual Events and Coping with Disaster Risk a Case Study of Lalitpur, Nepal

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of ritual for enhancing the capacity of a community in Nepal to adapt to disaster risk. Personal accounts of 1934 earthquake survivors of Lalitpur City were recorded and analyzed to better understand the social dynamics that occurred during this event. This data was supplemented and expanded upon with more recent interviews, observations, and other forms of evidence concerning the experiences of modern-day residents in this community. We employ structural ritualization theory and its key concepts—salience, repetitiveness, homologousness, and resources—to investigate how ritualized symbolic practices contribute to the social capacity of a community to cope with disasters. Findings reveal that people engage in various ritualized activities before, during, and after disasters and these practices enhance their ability to cope with such situations and revive a normal social life. Finally, implications of this study and the need for further research are discussed.