In this Book
- Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The Liturgy of the Durgā Pūjā with Interpretations
- Book
- 2003
- Published by: State University of New York Press
- Series: McGill Studies in the History of Religions, A Series Devoted to International Scholarship (discontinued)
summary
During a nine-day period every autumn, Hindus in India and throughout the world worship the Great Goddess, Durgā—the formidable deity who is loved like a mother. One of the most dramatic and popular of these celebrations is the Durgā Pūjā, a rite noted for its visual pageantry, ritual complexity, and communal participation. In this book, Hillary Peter Rodrigues describes the Bengali style of Durgā Pūjā practiced in the sacred city of Banaras from beginning to end. A romanization of the Sanskrit litany is included along with an English translation.
In addition to the liturgical description, Rodrigues provides information on the rite’s component elements and mythic aspects. There are interpretive sections on pūjā, the Great Goddess, women’s roles in the ritual, and the socio-cultural functions of the ritual. Rodrigues maintains that the Durgā Pūjā is a rite of cosmic rejuvenation, of empowerment at both the personal and social levels, and a rite that orchestrates manifestations of the feminine, both Divine and human.
Table of Contents
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- Illustrations
- pp. ix-x
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xii
- Abbreviations
- p. xiii
- 1. Introduction
- pp. 1-12
- PART I: CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW
- 2. The Setting
- pp. 15-34
- 3. Overview of the Durga Puja
- pp. 35-68
- PART II: DESCRIPTION OF THE DURGA PUJA
- 4. The Durga Puja
- pp. 71-248
- PART III: INTERPRETATIONS
- 5. The Nature of Puja
- pp. 251-260
- 6. The Nature of the Great Goddess
- pp. 261-286
- 7. Functions of the Durga Puja
- pp. 287-312
- Bibliography
- pp. 363-384
Additional Information
ISBN
9780791488447
DOI
MARC Record
OCLC
55140637
Pages
417
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No