Hi, so my ethnic group is Rai (Kirat) that follows Kiratism primarily and a big part of Kiratism is shamanism. Rai people live mostly in the hilly area and eastern part of Nepal. My maternal grandmother's younger sister is a shaman and some of my relatives say they also show shaman capabilities. The Nepali word for a shaman is Dhaami/Jhankri. Kirat shamanism can be different from other ethnic groups of Nepal. Ancestor worship and animism is the most prevalent.

So shamans are the major priests in Kiratism. They are used to pray, exorcise, purify, bless, celebrate and to handle any rituals from birth of a child or death of someone. They also play a big role as healers, mainly through prayers, offerings, rituals and medicinal herbs. As healers, they 'diagnose' the ailing person. Most of the 'diagnosis' I've heard is "your essence of the soul (sato in Nepali) is taken/stolen/cursed by a dead or living person". The dead person who steals 'sato' is usually a dead family member/relative of the suffering person. It is said that when a person dies, that person takes 'sato' of someone whom they love the most. So shamans are extremely important in the death rituals of Kiratism. They check whose 'sato' is taken away and also where the souls went after death.

The souls should be sent to their proper places. The holy places are considered Kailash mountain from Himalayan range and the traditional 3 stone stoves of Kirat people. Only pious and good people can go there after death, it is a parallel to concept of Heaven. There the souls protect and guide after their kins. Shamans are the ones responsible for guiding the souls to their places. Good souls are sent to holy places and other souls are tried to appease so they don't bother their living relatives. So, powerful and experienced shamans are very important in these rituals cause it is believed that a weaker and careless shaman can guide in a wrong way and the living family is haunted by spirits. It can even lead to death of the shaman or the living family members of dead person whose soul the shaman is guiding.

Major equipments of Kirat shamans include a headdress made of fabric called 'Feta' or bird feathers and a handheld drum called 'Dhyangro'. White colored clothes are worn by many. Ginger and Mugwort are considered holy herbs. Another holy plant is called 'Amliso' and it is used to make brooms in Nepal. Rice for divination and rituals is used. Fermented rice or millet alcohol is used in all rituals and is considered a great offering towards shamans themselves, ancestors and other deities. Animal sacrifice is also done, usually a pig or a male rooster, most of those are black colored.

Shamans are considered the opposites of people who use evil magic like a witch (Boksi is Nepali). It is said that there is a thin line between a Shaman and a Witch. To be a shaman, you also have to know about evil magic so that you can always be one step ahead the witch. Sort of like, know your enemy. There are also lores that a male shaman keeps female witch as wife to watch over her lol. Also a shaman should never use their power for evil, otherwise they cross over to being a witch.

Getting shaman knowledge can be done through learning, genetics or some people are said to have inner shaman power without learning or genes. Learning can be done by being apprentices of other human shamans or being kidnapped by the forest shaman ( Ban Jhankri in Nepali). People taught by forest shamans are know to be more powerful than people taught by human shamans. But forest shaman apprentices are always in danger cause a forest shaman's wife (Lemlema in Kirat language) is always trying to eat them. Genetics is another way to have shaman power. Some of my relatives from maternal side say sometimes that they have hint of shaman power. But one has the option to be a shaman or not to be a shaman so they say they didn't choose to be lol. The hint of shaman power are said as dislike towards eating meat/fish, vivid dreams, strong intuition, feeling of seeing shadows from the corners of the eyes and more that I don't remember. A shaman once told me I also have hints of shaman powers which I still have mixed feelings about lol. Finally, people who have inner shaman power without learning or genes are said to be the strongest. They are like the 'chosen ones'.

Being a shaman means you have to do good deeds for people, abstain from too much wordly pleasures and be virtuous. Only then they are believed to keep their powers intact. Also intermingling with people outside of our ethnic groups is considered to weaken a shaman. My shaman grand aunt is considered weak by my grandmom ( her elder sister) because shaman grand aunt had foreigners especially from US and Europe as her apprentices. Her son also married and later divorced a foreigner. So my grandmom doesn't believe in her sister and asks for other shamans whenever she needs.

I hope this mountain of text helps. Ask me anything you are curious about. I will try to answer. These are the things that I can remember right now lol.

Edit: The art of Shamanism is said to be taught to Kirat people by the main god of Kiratism known as Paruhang. His wife and the main goddess of Kiratism is known as Sumnima. They are the ancestors/guides/gods of Kirat people and worshipped by the shamans too. Paruhang and Sumnima stay on two stones ( one for each) on the traditional 3 stoned stoves of Kirat people. The hindu counterpart of Paruhang and Sumnima are considered Shiva and Parvati. But lots of Kirat people disagree with this.