Vicissitudes of the Goddess: Reconstructions of the Gramadevata in India's Religious Traditions

— —

Sree Padma (Executive Director, Executive Director, Inter-collegiate Sri Lanka (ISLE) Program, Bowdoin College) 1956- Sree Padma

Vicissitudes of the Goddess

Reconstructions of the Gramadevata in India's Religious Traditions

Sree Padma (Executive Director, Executive Director, Inter-collegiate Sri Lanka (ISLE) Program, Bowdoin College), 1956- Sree Padma

$109.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press Inc
28 November 2013

Asian history; History of religion; Hinduism; Hindu worship, rites & ceremonies; Sociology & anthropology

This book provides a detailed history of Hindu goddess traditions with a special focus on the local goddesses of Andhra Pradesh, past and present. The antiquity and the evolution of these goddess traditions are illustrated and documented with the help of archaeological reports, literary sources, inscriptions and art.

Tracing the symbols and images of goddess into the brahmanical (Saiva and Vaisnava), Buddhist, and Jaina religious traditions, the book argues effectively how and with what motivations goddesses and their symbolizations were appropriated and transformed.

The book also examines the evolution of popular Hindu goddesses such as Durga and Kali, discussing their tribal and agricultural backgrounds.

It also deals extensively with how and in what circumstances women are deified and shows how these deified women cults share characteristics with the village goddesses.

By: Sree Padma (Executive Director Executive Director Inter-collegiate Sri Lanka (ISLE) Program Bowdoin College), 1956- Sree Padma
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 157mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780199325030
ISBN 10: 0199325030
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 28 November 2013
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sree Padma is the executive director of the Inter-Collegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) Program, a study abroad program in Sri Lanka. She also teaches at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, offering courses on the cultural history of south Asia. She is the author of Costume, Coiffure, and Ornament in the Temple Sculpture of Northern Andhra (1991) and the co-editor of Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra (2008).

Reviews for Vicissitudes of the Goddess: Reconstructions of the Gramadevata in India's Religious Traditions

A coherent and convincing thesis on goddess worship...Padma's methodological approach combining anthropology, archaeology, history, and mythology is refreshing and boldly successful...Her synthesis of pre-Vedic, Buddhist, Jaina, Vaisnava, and Saiva material into the framework of village goddess worship enriches her findings and makes her study unique...Her appraisals of on-the-ground religious practices past and present offer much to experts and non-experts interested in a new lens through which to approach Indic religions. --H-NET In this monumental book, Sree Padma traces the history of village goddess traditions in Andhra Pradesh, India from prehistoric to contemporary times. She engages an impressive array of textual, material, and ethnographic sources to explore both continuities and transformations in goddess cults. This book will change how scholars think about South Asian goddesses. - Tracy Pintchman, Director of International Studies, Loyola University Chicago