CONTENTS 

Introduction 
Pratapaditya Pal


The Defeat of the Gods and the Victory of the Goddess: 
The Divine Feminine in Indic Spirituality 
Gerald James Larson


Vessels for the Goddess: 
Unfired-Clay Images of Durga in Bengal 
Susan S. Bean


From Spectacle to Art: 
The Changing Aesthetics of Durga Puja in Contemporary Kolkata
Tapati Guha-Thakurta


Durga in Kashmir
Pratapaditya Pal


Dasai: 
The Celebration of the Goddess Durga in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal 
Anne Vergati 


Dance of Conception and Baby Shower: 
Tracing a Latent Aspect of Durga Puja in the Light of the Cult of Kumara
Gautama V. Vajracharya


Constant Companion, Autonomous Spirit: 
Two Facets of the Feminine in Tamil Tradition
Rajeshwari Ghose


The Muchilottu Bhagavathi Cult in Kerala
Pepita Seth


The Fifty-one Shakta Pithas
Pratapaditya Pal


The Hinglaj Shrine, Baluchistan	
Ibrahim Shah


Index