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Front Cover
Back Cover
The Supreme Refuge, Volume 2: History, Myths, Worship, and Meanings of the Hindu Great Goddess, Durgā (hardcover)
Author:
Hillary P. Rodrigues
ISBN:
9789376540105
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
412
Size:
16 x 24 cm
Price:
INR
2795.00
FORTHCOMING
About the Book
Demonstrates the historical and ritual forces that secured Durgā's position as Hinduism's Great Goddess, combining textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence with rich, firsthand accounts of contemporary worship.
This is the second installment in a two-volume, comprehensive examination of the Hindu Great Goddess (Mahādevī) Durgā. Whereas the first traced the goddess’s emergence as Mahādevī through the sophisticated metaphysics of the Devī Māhātmya, the present work investigates the historical, regional, and ritual processes that further consolidated her supremacy across the Hindu world. Drawing together textual, inscriptional, and iconographic evidence with firsthand ethnographic observation, it first follows Durgā's development in India and Nepal before turning to Southeast Asia—especially Java and Bali—where her persona took on distinctive forms. With Banāras as a focal point, the analysis then examines major ritual institutions, including Durgā Pūjā and the temple networks associated with the Nine Durgā pilgrimage. It also explores both exoteric and esoteric dimensions of devotion, showing how ritual practice intersects with interpretations articulated through yantras, mantras, mythic narratives, and embodied performance. Taken together, these strands reveal how Durgā’s appeal expanded beyond sovereign empowerment to encompass her roles as supreme refuge and ultimate reality—an enduring source of protection, grace, and ontological grounding for worshippers across the Hindu world.
About the Author
Hillary P. Rodrigues
Hillary P. Rodrigues is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Lethbridge. His previous books include
Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The Liturgy of the Durgā Pūjā with Interpretations
and, coedited with Caleb Simmons and Moumita Sen,
Nine Nights of the Goddess: The Navarātri Festival in South Asia
.
Editorial Reviews
“This is the second volume of the first comprehensive cultural history of the goddess Durgā. Whereas the first volume was mainly concerned with untangling the complex history and background of Durgā’s worship, ritual, and rise as the Great Goddess, the present volume adopts a more anthropological approach, including fascinating observations based on fieldwork carried out over many years. It not only deals with the worship of Durgā in India (primarily Varanasi, where the author has done most of his fieldwork) but also makes excursions to Nepal and Southeast Asia (Champa, Java, and Bali). The variety of different perspectives is a real bonus.”
—Peter Bisschop, Leiden University
Customer Reviews
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