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The five essays in this book are the expression of the research and experiences of a group of women from different backgrounds who are unified by their common interest – the mysteries of the Feminine Divine. Through the perspective of a vast study on Indian women's birth rituals, Janet Chawla, researcher, writer and Director of Marika Charitable Trust, writes about the protective and dangerous powers of ambivalent Birth Goddesses. Dr Nilima Chitgopekar, Associate Professor of Indian History, in the Jesus & Mary College at Delhi University, prolific writer and cinematographer, binds her deep understanding of devotional and historical scripts to the aesthetics of the Yoginis. Prof Anamika Roy, researcher, writer and Professor of Ancient History, University of Allahabad and author of the book Sixty-Four Yoginis, takes the mysteries of the Goddesses to a new dimension through her critical research of ancient texts and sculptures. In her contribution, Seema Kohli as a multi-disciplinary artist, poet and dreamer thriving on imagination, ideas, philosophies, narratives and myths, recreates the divine experience in images and words. The adventurous spirit of Stella Dupuis, novelist, researcher and yoga-meditation teacher, while sharing her experiences in remote sacred sites goes beyond the range of devotional aspects of the Goddesses reaching the alchemy of Non-duality.

Contents: Introduction: From the outset of my research on the yoginis/Stella Dupuis. Foreword: Friendship makes us better people/Renata Durán. 1. From the ground: birth goddesses and creation stories/Janet Chawla. 2. Sculpture and scripture: negotiating a co-existence/Nilima Chitgopekar. 3. Golaki Matth: Vamadeva and Shahdol Yogini Images/Anamika Roy. 4. Is Myth Rality?/Seema Kohli. 5. On the Road/Stella Dupuis