cut, tuck, and paste: repurposing mass-produced imagery at buddhist shrines in ladakh, india

Abstract

This article documents and analyzes the ways in which mass-produced imagery, frequently intended for secular functions, is creatively repurposed at Buddhist shrines in Ladakh, India. I argue that these inventive reformulations of printed material—often requiring cutting, pasting, and reframing—play a critical role in the construction and vitality of Ladakhi Buddhist shrine assemblages. While scholars have recently examined the role of early photography in Tibet and the Western Himalaya, this paper pays attention to a broader spectrum of mass-produced imagery found in newspapers, advertisements, magazines, and travel guides, which is often refashioned and reused at shrines. The article proposes a tripartite typology for mass-produced images, some of which were never intended for religious use though they feature Buddhist content. Case studies illustrate that these innovative practices of repurposing mass-produced imagery are the result of several concerns; central among them is upholding a Buddhist precept about perceiving and caring for images of the Buddha. Other notable motivations and practices of preservation relate to generating blessings and merit.