Revelry, Rivalry, and Longing for the Goddesses of Bengal: The Fortunes of Hindu Festivals

Annually During The Months Of Autumn, Bengal Hosts Three Interlinked Festivals To Honor Its Most Important Goddesses: Durga, Kali, And Jagaddhatri. While Each Of These Deities Possesses A Distinct Iconography, Myth, And Character, They Are All Martial. Durga, Kali And Jagaddhatri Often Demand Blood Sacrifice As Part Of Their Worship And Offer Material And Spiritual Benefits To Their Votaries. Richly Represented In Straw, Clay, Paint, And Decoration, They Are Similarly Displayed In Elaborately Festooned Temples, Thronged By Thousands Of Admirers. Pūjā Origins And Elite Politics -- The Goddess In Colonial And Postcolonial History -- Durgā The Daughter : Folk And Familial Traditions -- The Artistry Of Durgā And Jagaddhātrī -- Durgā On The Titanic : Politics And Religion In The Pūjā -- The Orientalist Kālī : A Tantric Icon Comes Alive -- Approaches To Kālī Pūjā In Bengal -- Controversies And The Goddess -- Deva In The Diaspora -- Appendix : An Overview Of The Press In Bengal Up To 1947. Rachel Fell Mcdermott. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.