Description

The book includes all of the more popular female deities (Lakshmi, Kali, Durga, Sita, etc.), as well as goddesses who are lesser known in the West, such as Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and speech, and Rukmuni, the first and greatest of Krishna’s 16,108 wives. Each chapter includes several color illustrations, some full-size and some in miniature, by Mahaveer Swami, B.G. Sharma and Indra Sharma. Readers will want to pore over the glorious detail of these portraits, several of which were commissioned exclusively for this edition. In addition to its beautiful design, the text presents Hindu traditions and beliefs in terms that Westerners can understand. Krishna Dharma presents the goddesses by way of story, retelling some of the great legends about them and calling attention to their various attributes. This is an accessible introduction to the goddesses of Hinduism, as well as a beautifully produced and highly collectible art book.

The stories of these and many other goddesses, spanning from the obscure to the iconic, are gathered here in a timeless celebration of Goddess imagery, symbolism and lore. The arresting, original portraits that accompany them complete this mythic repertoire with a stunning gallery of color, form and meaning.

Text by Krishna Dharma Dasa, illustrations by B.G. Sharma, Indra Sharna and Mahaveer Swami; includes a folded poster “The Many Faces of the Goddess” with 25 paintings of Goddesses, and on the other side the list of paintings with references and page numbers.