The Lajjagauri and Anandanayaki: A New Light on the Nature and Worship of the Adi-Mata, the Primordial Mother [Paperback]

Lajjagauri is perhaps one of Indias oldest goddesses, with images of her found in South Asia dating back to the Indus Civilisation c. 3000 to 1500 B.C.E. Her devotees can be traced back even earlier, to the Ukraine c. 10,000 B.C.E. In India, new finds continue to expand the geographical spread of Lajjagauris devotees, most recently to Odisa. ?heres work on Lajjagauri  a study of the meanings of the visual representations of the Goddess  is based on a tireless pursuit of her image throughout western India. In contrast to the other thousands of Indian goddesses whose images are superabundant, Lajjagauri has become more reclusive as other deities have risen. This work by the towering Mara?hi cultural specialist Dr Ramacandra Cintama? ?here is a unique and important study, painstakingly and lovingly translated into English by Dr Jayant Bapa?.Jayant Bhalcandra Bapa? holds doctorates in Organic Chemistry and Indology, and is an adjunct research fellow at the Monash Asia Institute at Monash University. His research interests include Hinduism, goddess cults, the Fisher community of Mumbai, and Jainism, and he has published widely in these areas. He is co-editor with Ian Mabbett of The Iconic Female: Goddesses of India, Nepal and Tibet (Monash University Press, 2008) and Conceiving the Goddess: Transformation and Appropriation in Indic Religions (Monash University Publishing, 2016), and a co-author of The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia (DK Printworld, 2015). For his work in education and for the Indian community, Jayant was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011.Known popularly as A??a, ?here was a prolific writer on many aspects of religion in India and on Indian folk culture, especially that of Mahara??ra. He was second to none in the study of ancient Mara?hi and Sa?sk?t literature and was responsible for bringing to light many rare and lost manuscripts. ?here produced over a hundred books on the religion of the masses. Often workingl£+