Yungdrung: A Ramble in Tibetan Studies – A Festschrift for Charles Ramble is a landmark 2026 scholarly volume honoring the pioneering work of Charles Ramble, founder of Oxford’s Tibetan & Himalayan Studies programme. Edited by George FitzHerbert, Fernanda Pirie, Ulrike Roesler, and Alice Travers, and published by Vajra Books (Kathmandu), this 721-page hardcover brings together leading international scholars in Tibetan studies, Bonpo religion, Himalayan anthropology, ritual history, and Buddhist philosophy.
The title “Yungdrung” references the eternal swastika symbol central to Bon tradition, reflecting the volume’s deep engagement with pre-Buddhist and syncretic Himalayan cultures. Chapters explore topics ranging from Sherpa origins and Ladakhi fortresses to ritual topography, monastic institutions, and textual transmission across Tibet, Nepal, and the broader Himalayan region.
Designed for academics, researchers, and advanced students, Yungdrung serves both as a tribute to Ramble’s transformative influence on Himalayan studies and as a cutting-edge reference work featuring new field research, philological analysis, and interdisciplinary approaches. With contributions from Matthew Kapstein and other distinguished scholars, the book includes extensive bibliographies and is positioned as a core text in Tibetan and Bonpo studies curricula worldwide.
Ideal for university libraries, research institutes, and specialists in Asian religions, this volume advances contemporary discourse while preserving the methodological rigor that defined Ramble’s career.
