"This eminently useful collection of thirteen articles focuses on a variety of local and international Hindu goddesses, each of whom draws on the great goddess Devi. . . . Focusing on narrative, ritual and dramatic performance, and kin dynamics, the authors tackle the complexities of the goddess figure, her spiritual relationships with devotees, and the often contradictory sociocultural dimensions of her worship. Especially illuminating are the discussions of recent developments in Indian political life and the 'Western' appropriation of Kali material. This thoughtful, information book belongs on every scholarly shelf devoted to the South Asian pantheon."—Choice

"The collection is not rigidly organized, nor could it be, given the overwhelming diversity of religious forms—hymns, myths, rituals, dramas, geographies, iconographies, theologies—discussed by the volume's contributors. Essays range from scriptural interpretation and history of theology to descriptions of possession-rituals and their effects on participants, to the analysis of goddess worship in contemporary Indian politics. . . . Essential for those with teaching or research interests that involve Hindu goddesses."—Religious Studies Review

"Well written and thoroughly researched, the essays explore the multivarious roles of the goddess in a religion where the presence of the female divine is vital, real, and contradictory."—Library Journal