The earlier book -- Naga Cult & Traditions -- published in 2004 became unavailable within a few months. Since then, there had been a constant demand among the academicians, and readers. That forced me to go deeper in the field on this subject. Thus, a deeper and wide-ranging fieldwork and research was undertaken on the various aspects of this mysterious theme, covering once again the entire expanse of the Western Himalayan region right from Kashmir to Uttarakhand. Besides, to study as to how the various aspects of the serpent cults, beliefs, mystic rituals and the sanguinary practices associated with this cult found roots among the native inhabitants and the ruling houses in the Western Himalayan region was undertaken. Based on that unexplored data, the subject was taken up afresh in logical and vivid manner. The field data discovered afresh about the folklore and rituals associated with the serpent cults and mystic practices, which forms a very important part of the present study, which forms a very important part of this study.

The traditional belief systems that and the socioeconomic practices associated with the serpent lore should have been responsible for the fusion of indigenous Rudra and serpent-based cults, but all those have now been forgotten. Most of those cultic practices have are now almost lost, but still faintly survive among the elderly people. Attempt has been made to deeply discover those. Besides, the beliefs, rituals and folklore associated with the serpent cults have been discovered and elaborately explained in a lucid diction. 

 

The present volume –Serpent Lore of the Western Himalayan Region -- is a thoroughly investigated and analysed study.  It is spread in 10 chapters as follows: (1) Geophysical Setting (2) Socio-cultural Backdrop (3) Geneses and Proliferation of Serpent Cults (4) The Serpents of Aquatic Sphere (5) The Serpents of Terrestrial Sphere (6) Serpent as the Lord of Weather (7) The Serpents of Lower Kinnaur (8.) Serpent as a Terrific God (9) Serpent as the Patron God (10) Gugga as the Anthropomorphized Hero. Besides, the book contains four Appendices containing useful information for the researchers and readers.

Dr. O. C. Handa is a well-known connoisseur of art and culture, and an outstanding scholar of history and archaeology, especially related with the Himalayan region, having been in the field now for more than six decades. In his exploratory pursuits, he has been undertaking several expeditions, many of them the solo ones, to the far-flung nooks and corners of the vast Himalayan regions and coastal villages of the country. That would underscore his zeal to explore the antique but extant material evidences of history, art and culture of the Himalayan and the coastal region, and his commitment to acquire the firsthand and authentic knowledge of almost all aspects of the creative enterprise of the communities of those regions. This quality is well reflected in his numerous writings.

He did his post-graduation in History from the University of Mysore, Ph. D. from the Meerut University and D. Lit. form the Agra University. Having come from the civil engineering background, he remained in-charge of the Department of Museum and Archaeology, Himachal Pradesh for several years.

Dr. Handa has authored more than 36 books exclusively on the art, history, archaeology and culture of the indigenous communities of the Himalayan and coastal regions to his credit. Besides, he has edited seven volumes on the History of Indian Science & Technology.  He has been writing   articles, research papers for various national and international research journals and papers. Thus, he has more than five hundred papers and articles to his credit. He has also been performing for the radio and TV; has participated in several regional, national and international seminars and workshops and delivered lectures on the subjects of his specialty at various forums in India and abroad. He remained a member of different expert committees of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India.  

Dr. Handa remained a fellow of the Himachal Academy of Art, Language and Culture, Shimla, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla at different periods, and was a Senior Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi from 2001 to 2003.  He also remained a Senior Editor of the U. S. based Infinity Foundation for several years.