Book of Avatars and Divinities The

In the Hindu universe gods and goddesses play freely among human beings to help them nudge them towards the right action and mete out justice. They may appear to us as avatars in human form or manifest themselves as forces of nature. The many myths of Hinduism become colourful and entertaining when Shiva Vishnu and Devi take different forms to enact their rivalries destroy demons and teach devotees with superpowers a lesson in humility.This first-of-its-kind book brings together the major deities of the Hindu pantheon describing the different manifestations by which they are recognized celebrated and worshipped-from Durga to Sita to Kali and from Narasimha to Parashurama to Krishna. The contributions by Bulbul Sharma Namita Gokhale Nanditha Krishna Parvez Dewan Royina Grewal and Seema Mohanty offer enchanting stories about our favourite divinities. About the Author Namita Gokhale is an award winning writer and festival director. She is the author of eleven works of fiction and has written extensively on myth as well as the Himalayan region. Her acclaimed debut novel Paro Dreams of Passion was published in 1984. Her recent novel Jaipur Journals published in January 2020 was set against the backdrop of the vibrant Jaipur Literature Festival. Betrayed By Hope a play on the life of Michael Madhusudan Dutt was also published in 2020. A co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival Gokhale is committed to supporting translations and curating literary dialogues across languages and cultures. She was conferred the Centenary National Award for Literature by the Asam Sahitya Sabha in Guwahati in 2017. She won the Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel Things to Leave Behind which also received the Best Fiction Jury Award at the Valley of Words Literature Festival 2017 and was on the longlist for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award. The Blind Matriarch is her twentieth book.