Beauty, Power and Grace: The Many Faces of the Goddess

In this oversized coffee table art book, Dharma pays homage to the female aspect of Divinity as it has been expressed in many different Hindu traditions. The book includes all of the more popular female deities (Lakshmi, Kali, Durga, Sita, etc.), as well as goddesses who are lesser known in the West, such as Saraswati, the font of learning and speech, and Rukmuni, the first and greatest of Krishna's 16,108 wives. Each chapter includes several color illustrations, some full-size and some in miniature, by Mahaveer Swami, B.G. Sharma and Indra Sharma. Readers will want to pore over the glorious detail of these portraits, several of which were commissioned exclusively for this edition. In addition to its beautiful design, the text presents Hindu traditions and beliefs in terms that Westerners can understand. Dharma presents the goddesses by way of story, retelling some of the great legends about them and calling attention to their various attributes. This is an accessible introduction to the goddesses of Hinduism, as well as a beautifully produced and highly collectible art book.