Breaking Boundaries With the Goddess: New Directions in the Study of Saktism

This book is a commemorative volume to N.N. Bhattacharya, an internationally recognized master interpreter and an encyclopedic expert in the field of ancient Indian history. Part one of this volume is devoted to research that examines familiar texts or familiar figures, not only to further scholarly inquiry but also to tap hitherto unutilized resources. A second set of essays, grouped together in Part II under the heading `Rethinking Blood, Cadavers, and Death`, presents new perspectives-historical field-oriented, and textual on sacrifice. From texts and contexts, Part III turns to art history. Final essays in Part IV share a common interest in power: the transformations possible through Sakti, and through the Goddess as Sakti, in the experiences of Hindu men and women. Each of the essayists in this volume urges those engaged in the study of Saktism to push out in new directions.