The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine—deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings.
David Kinsley’s new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. Kinsley’s book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice. He not only explains to the reader the significance of the Goddesses but he does so in a psychological and spiritual matrix. The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as “antimodels” for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses.
The Ram Chandra Series Boxset of 4 Books : Ram – Scion of Ikshvaku, Sita: Warrior of Mithila, Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta, War of Lanka
This is a masterpiece written by Amish Tripathi in which Ramayana is retold like never before wherein characters of book don’t have divine powers, they are just Kings with superhuman skills and where the women are equally empowered. Nobody was completely virtuous and nobody was truly evil. Even Ravan of this book has many good qualities.
While reading through pages, you will feel these characters must have existed and this would have happened the exact way this book is painting in our mind.
This masterpiece is written in 4 parts wherein Ramayana’s story till Sita’s kidnapping is narrated from Ram’s perspective, Sita’s perspective and Ravan’s perspective in Book Ram( Book1), Sita (Book2) and Ravan(Book 3) respectively. The 3 stories get merged into single narrative in 4th Book, War of Lanka which covers how Ram rescues Sita from the Ravan’s Kingdom. It’s a must-read according to me.