Mandakranta Bose is Professor Emerita, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, Canada. Two of her major publications are Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval and Modern India and Sangitanarayana: A Critical Edition.

This book accounts for the origin and evolution of the nature and roles of women within the Hindu belief system. It explains how the idea of the goddess has been derived from Hindu philosophical ideas and texts of codes of conduct and how particular models of conduct for mortal women have been created.

1. Introduction 2. Gendered Divinity: Goddesses in the Hindu Tradition 3. Shaping Women's lives: The Role of Ancient Hindu Texts 4. Women Poets of Hinduism 5. Sanctuary: Women and Home Worship 6. Conclusion