{"product_id":"devi-the-shakt-parampara-of-the-western-himalayas","title":"Devi: The Shakt Parampara of the Western Himalayas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout The Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Himalayas have never been only mountains. They have been a sacred body of Sakti.\u003cbr\u003eFrom the ancient memory of Šäradă in Kashmir to the flames of Jwala, from Vaishno Devi, Naina Devi and Bajreshwari to the village and clan Goddesses worshipped in remote Himalayan communities, the Goddess has taken countless forms while remaining one profound mystery: Sakti, the power that creates, sustains, transforms and awakens. Scholarship likewise recognizes Goddess worship across a remarkable spectrum-from household and village traditions to temple worship and sophisticated Tantric systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this deeply researched and spiritually intimate work, Dr. Vaidehi Taman journeys through the sacred landscape of the Western Himalayas to explore the many dimensions of the Devi tradition. Drawing upon Vedic thought, Purāņic traditions, Kashmir Shaivism, Šäkta and Tantric philosophy, Śrīvidyā, Mantra, Yantra, Kundalini, the Mahavidyās, sacred geography, temple traditions and living folk practices, she looks beyond the familiar image of the Goddess to ask what Sakti truly means.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book moves between scripture and shrine, philosophy and devotion, mountain and memory, bringing together the great theological traditions with the intimate world of village Goddesses, Kuldevis and Gramdevis. It enters the philosophical world of Abhinavagupta, explores the relationship between Šiva and Sakti, and follows the Goddess through texts such as the Devi Māhātmya, Devi Bhagavata, Lalita Sahasranama, Saundaryalahari and Devi Atharvaśirşa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this is not only a book about temples that survived. It is also about those that did not. Through the stories of displacement, forgotten shrines, damaged temples and communities separated from their sacred landscapes, the book asks what happens when people leave but memory refuses to leave with them. It explores how a Goddess can continue to live through ritual, inherited stories, recreated shrines, sacred names and the memory of a homeland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt its heart, this is a book about recognition the recognition that Sakti cannot be confined to an image, a temple, a scripture or a mountain. She is encountered through them, but ultimately points. beyond them, toward the deepest understanding of consciousness, creation and the human search for the sacred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout The Author \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVaidehi Taman, an accredited journalist of Maharashtra, is an author, researcher, and chronicler of Kashmir's ancient heritage. She is regarded as the first Indian journalist to undertake such extensive and sustained research into Kashmir's ancient history, philosophy, saints, poets, and spiritual traditions while spending considerable time in the Valley. Her writings explore Kashmir through Lal Ded, Abhinavagupta, Nund Rishi, Bilhana, the Nilamata Purana, and the Valley's powerful yet often overlooked women voices. She is the Group Editor of Afternoon Voice, an English daily from Mumbai, and The Democracy News, a digital news and YouTube platform. With more than two decades in journalism, Vaidehi has built her career around independent journalism, research, writing, and public discourse. She is also a vocational trainer and mentor to aspiring journalists, sharing with the next generation the knowledge, discipline, and experience gained through years in the newsroom and the field.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Classic Shelf","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67853391495405,"sku":null,"price":509.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0765\/3520\/2029\/files\/1shopifyfrontcover_9412b30b-4a82-46e1-b398-c8ef29bde198.jpg?v=1792576592","url":"https:\/\/classicshelf.in\/products\/devi-the-shakt-parampara-of-the-western-himalayas","provider":"Classic Shelf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}