Hindu theology views rivers as goddesses who confer blessings and spiritual purification and their release from the grip of the demon of drought is a recurring theme in the mythology. India is a country blessed with many rivers, but of these, seven are considered to be particularly important. Known collectively as Saptaganga, Sapta Sindhu or Saptapunyanadi, the Ganges, Yamuna, Sindhu, Sarasvati, Godavari, Narmada and Kaveri rivers are invoked at the start of every ritual. They weave through sacred narratives about gods, sages and heroes and define the physical, spiritual and cultural landscape of Bharatavarsha.

Why is the tulsi considered sacred? What is the significance of namaste? Why do Hindus light a lamp before performing a ritual? Why is it forbidden to sleep facing the south? Why do Hindus chant 'shanti' three times after performing a rite? Millions of Hindus the world over grow up observing rites, rituals and religious practices that lie at the heart of Hinduism, but which they don't know the significance of. Often the age-old customs, whose relevance is lost to modern times, are dismissed as meaningless superstitions. The truth, however, is that these practices reveal the philosophical and scientific approach to life that has characterized Hindu thought since ancient times; it is important to revive their original meanings today. This handy book tells the fascinating stories and explains the science behind the Hindu rites and rituals that we sometimes follow blindly. It is essential reading for anyone interested in India's cultural tradition.

Ganga’s cleansing waters were urgently needed on earth. But, the spirited daughter of the mountain god was not to be easily subdued as her waters darted about uncontrollably. Only Shiva could tame her by entangling her in the coils of his hair. When her waters could finally wend their way out, they were calmer and purer. They turned arid wastes into fertile land and filled up the oceans. Since those ancient times when King Bhagiratha sought her help, Ganga, whether roaring or placid, dancing or sombre, continues to enchant one and all with her life-giving beauty.

The Ganga is described as a very beautiful woman—voluptuous and fecund—carrying a water pot in her hand and travels on a Makara, a creature with the tail of a fish and the head of an elephant. Does the Ganga flow from Shiva’s hair? Does she rise from Vishnu’s feet? Is she the wife of Shiva or of Vishnu? As the daughter of water, can a river ever have a lord, and be controlled? Devdutt dips into the world of the Goddess Ganga, bringing to life the reasons why we revere this river and depend on her for the cycle of rebirth and freedom. Dive into the nuanced humanity of this delightful goddess in this short, sweet read from Devlok.

Blending myth with interviews and first-person narrative, California-based writer Amarnath Ravva's American Canyon uses prose, documentary footage and still photos to recount the fragmented and ever-evolving story of one person's apprehension of the ghosts of history. Written from a series of video notes taken over a period of ten years, this narrative of a son's love for his mother and the ritual he performs for her takes us from California to Rameswaram, the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. It is a meditation on the moments in history that placed him in front of a small bright fire, a lament for the continual loss of those who, by remembering, let us know who we are. Ravva's American Canyon has been described by poet and author Kevin Killian as "a complex reworking of memoir form, using the tools of poetry remelted, as in Vulcan's forge, to slash away at the ghosts and ghouls of conventional prose usage. The new journalism, Ravva-style, stimulates the nerve endings with its alternately lush and spare renditions of some spectacular settings..." Ravva has given readings and performed at LACMA, Machine Project, the MAK Center at the Schindler House, New Langton Arts, the Hammer Museum, USC, Pomona, CalArts and the Sorbonne.

Alter crosses many miles, and several millennia, to search for the source of Indian religion. Along the way, he delves into the myths and traditions of an antique land. "Sacred Waters" is a richly told narrative of a beautiful land and of a man's interior journey, and is for readers everywhere who seek to plumb their own spiritual sources.

In India: A Sacred Geography, renowned Harvard scholar Diana Eck offers an extraordinary spiritual journey through the pilgrimage places of the world's most religiously vibrant culture and reveals that it is, in fact, through these sacred pilgrimages that India’s very sense of nation has emerged. No matter where one goes in India, one will find a landscape in which mountains, rivers, forests, and villages are elaborately linked to the stories of the gods and heroes of Indian culture. Every place in this vast landscape has its story, and conversely, every story of Hindu myth and legend has its place. Likewise, these places are inextricably tied to one another—not simply in the past, but in the present—through the local, regional, and transregional practices of pilgrimage. India: A Sacred Geography tells the story of the pilgrim’s India. In these pages, Diana Eck takes the reader on an extraordinary spiritual journey through the living landscape of this fascinating country –its mountains, rivers, and seacoasts, its ancient and powerful temples and shrines. Seeking to fully understand the sacred places of pilgrimage from the ground up, with their stories, connections and layers of meaning, she acutely examines Hindu religious ideas and narratives and shows how they have been deeply inscribed in the land itself. Ultimately, Eck shows us that from these networks of pilgrimage places, India’s very sense of region and nation has emerged. This is the astonishing and fascinating picture of a land linked for centuries not by the power of kings and governments, but by the footsteps of pilgrims. India: A Sacred Geography offers a unique perspective on India, both as a complex religious culture and as a nation. Based on her extensive knowledge and her many decades of wide-ranging travel and research, Eck's piercing insights and a sweeping grasp of history ensure that this work will be in demand for many years to come.

The scripture of the Bhagavad Gita was given by God's incarnation Sri Krishna to humanity more than 5,000 years ago. The profound teachings of the Holy book are as relevant in today’s world as it was in the hoary past. The teaching of the Song of God, in the form of the Bhagavad Gita, has been acknowledged all over the world as a lofty scripture. The Holy book has been translated into all major languages of the world, for the benefit of humanity. For thousands of years, the Bhagavad Gita has inspired millions of readers.

Provides a fresh understanding of the Hindu spirtual landscapes and pantheon of gods and goddesses through 99 classic myths.