Devi: Goddesses of India

by John S. Hawley (Ed.) and Donna M. Wulff (Ed.)

The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have severely limited the portrayal of the divine as feminine. But in Hinduism, "God" very often means "Goddess." This extraordinary collection explores twelve different Hindu Goddesses, all of whom are in some way related to Devi, the Great Goddess. They range from the liquid goddess-energy of the River Ganges to the possessing, entrancing heat of Bhagavati and Seranvali. They are local, like Vindhavasini, and global, like Kali; ancient, like Saranyu, and modern, like "Mother India." The collection combines analysis of texts with intensiive fieldwork, allowing the reader to see how goddesses are worshiped in everyday life. In these essays the divine feminine in Hinduism is revealed as never before--fascinating, contradictory, powerful.

About the Author:

JOHN STRATTON HAWLEY is Professor of Religion at Bernard College and Director of the National Resource Centre for South Asia at Columbia University.DONNA MARIE WULFF is Associate Professor of Religion at Brown University. REVIEWS: The style is simple, the language is lucid, with information that is thought-provoking... It offers to scholars and beginners alike a fascinating and useful anthology. HARSHA P. ASARPOTAThe book is eminently readable. DR.KAMALA S. JAYA RAOThe book on the whole gives a delightful account of Goddess Devi. It is useful for researchers in the field of religion. SUBHASHINI R. GANDHIThe book is powerfully fascinating though selectively contradictory... This can be a most valuable addition to the studies of India, its society, religion, art, and culture and can be useful to scholars and researches. V.S. KALYANARAMAN