Reciting the Goddess

Reciting the Goddess offers the first comprehensive study of Nepal's revered goddess Svasthani and the popular Svasthanivratakatha textual tradition. Tracing its evolution from a 16th-century local legend into a widely celebrated Purana, this book reveals how the annual month-long recitation of the Svasthanivratakatha serves as a lens to understand the dynamic interplay between elite politics and public cultural shifts in Nepal's history.Why You Should Read? Explore the centuries-long transformation of the Svasthanivratakatha, a vital text in Nepalese Hinduism. Gain insights into the making of Hindu religious identity and practice in Nepal, informed by extensive archival and ethnographic research. Understand the complex relationships between Nepal's diverse Newar Hindu and high-caste hill Hindu communities. Examine Nepal's religious identity as a Hindu kingdom in dialogue with Hindu India and broader South Asia.