Book Description
This collection presents 164 brief Bengali lyric poems dedicated to the Hindu goddesses Kali and Uma by thirty-seven representative poets. These poems--many of which are presented here for the first time in English translation--were written from the early eighteenth century up to the contemporary period. Included are forty-eight poems by the most famous of all Sakta poets, Ramprasad Sen (c.1718-1775) and ten lyrics by the renowned 20th-century poet Kaji Najrul Islam. The book begins with an introduction that places these works in their historical context and shows how images of the goddesses evolved over the centuries. These poems evoke the passion and devotion of the followers of Kali and Uma and shed light on the history and practice of goddess worship.
About the author
Rachel Fell McDermott is Assistant Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College. She is the author of Mother of My Heart, Daughter of My Dreams: Kali and Uma in the Devotional Poetry of Bengal (Oxford University Press, 2001).
