Devi  (English, Paperback, Pattanaik Devdutt)

The book, Devi: The Mother-Goddess An Introduction, written by Devdutt Pattanaik, narrates in a simple style, the history, folktales, myths, customs, and rituals that revolve around the Mother Goddess and her various incarnations.

Summary Of the Book

Devi: The Mother-Goddess An Introduction is an attempt to bring forward the actual meaning of the term “goddess”. Dr. Pattanaik has brought together tales of Adi-Maya-Shakti, Parvati, Durga, Kali, and Lakshmi, who all represent Hindu female power, dominance and strength. Taking the readers through different eras of worshipping through imagery, history, customs, beliefs, folklore and philosophy, the author depicts the position and social status of women.

Filled with facts, Dr. Pattanaik has also provided information on goddesses from Japan, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Oceania, and Scandinavia. He has also detailed similar female representations in faiths like Gnosticism and Christianity. Devi: The Mother-Goddess An Introduction also includes lively tales about goddesses of villages such as Anasuya, Vaishnav-Devi, Arundhati, Kanyakumari and Savitri.

The book has been written in a lucid manner and contains symbols related to Shakta custom's Tantric rituals. Devi: The Mother-Goddess An Introduction also contains a map depicting the Devi’s important temples, and also has more than 150 illustrations in colour. The diversity present in Hinduism has been portrayed through the beliefs related to the Devi and other goddesses like Saraswati and Lakshmi, including the feminine forces in the Khmer Hindu universe. The belief in female deities has been detailed using examples of goddesses from around the world like Diana, Isis, and Aphrodite.

This book accurately depicts the role played by feminine power in religion and how it shapes the culture of the devotees.

About Devdutt Pattanaik

Presently holding the position of the Chief Belief Officer of one of India’s largest retail chains, the Future Group, Devdutt Pattanaik is a writer, mythologist, and leadership consultant. Some of his works on Hindu Mythology include books like Shiva: An Introduction, Vinayaka: The First God, The Book of Ram, The Pregnant King and Myth=Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology.

He was born in Mumbai, India, on December 11, 1970. Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik graduated with an M.B.B.S degree (medicine) from Grant Medical College, following which he did a course in Comparative Mythology from Mumbai University. Indian television network Star TV has also bagged Dr. Pattanaik as their story consultant. He is also a regular contributor for the news tabloid MiD DAY.