Take the way we go about buying a new car. We identify an auspicious date and time, then proceed to break a coconut, plonk a plastic deity of Ganesha on the dashboard, and zoom off at great speed, refusing to wear our seatbelts. Supposedly educated, smart and tech-savvy, Indians can be surprisingly unscientific in their daily lives. Think of the crores spent every year remodelling homes according to vaastu, in the hope of changing luck; and the continued horrors of female infanticide, because it is only the son who can help the father’s journey to heaven... This unsparingly critical, scathingly analytical book points out the shocking lack of scientific temper among the vast majority of Indians, and how this holds us up as a nation in the twenty-first century.

Ganesha is the most popular and loved of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Nothing auspicious takes place without invoking his name. Was this always so? if not, how did he rise into prominence? These and so many more questions have exercised the minds of those interested in Hindu religion and philosophy. This title answers those questions.

New job, new city, new love? Ganesha: Remover of Obstacles makes an exquisite gift for anyone on the brink of change. Following in the successful path of The Buddha Box (over 25,000 copies sold) comes this popular elephant-faced god of Hinduism. The book, which slides into the box to make an elegant backdrop for the statue of the loving elephant god, is filled with tales of Ganesha's creation and powers as a protector. Illustrated with thirty serene color images, the book also includes examples of mantras, prayers, sacred symbols, and songs for all manner of Karmic tangles, as well as instructions on how to create a home or office puja for making offerings to the benevolent god. A handsome mini-shrine for prayer and meditation practices and an ideal travel companion, Ganesha: Remover of Obstacles will enchant anyone interested in Indian mythology or Hindu religion.

This book offers a translation of the seven thousand verses of the second book of the medieval Hindu text, the Ganesa Purana, one of two Puranas dedicated to the important elephant-headed god. In this book the reader is given many narratives about Ganesas ascent to earth in order to kill demonic figures who threaten to overthrow the correct world order. In addition, these narratives contain myths about Ganesa's birth and family as well as some extended and quite humorous myths about ideal devotees of the god.The translation is preceded by a long introduction offering a geographical and historical context for the GanesaPurana. Following the translation are very extensive notes which bring our points of philological interest, but focus mainly on the literary structure of the text and the methods used to present the many myths and narratives in a coherent and fully integrated manner.

Shree Ganesh

The book, apart from narrating wisdom tales from Indian mythology, introduces the child to the world of new words. The words have been carefully chosen by a panel of experts and are explained in detail at the end of the book in a glossary.

Faith, Taran, he told himself. You're supposed to have faith. Not a lot is going right for Taran Sharma. First, he stole his annoying brother's necklace and ran off into the night. Then, his family got taken hostage by spindly creatures of the dead. And to top it all, he's just been charged with a mission by Lord Ganesha himself! Now, in order to rescue his family from the hands of the preta, he has to undertake a journey more fantastical than he can begin to comprehend. As Taran embarks on an epic voyage that may lead to disastrous consequence, he realizes that having faith, especially in himself, might be harder than he was led to believe. Dive into this riveting adventure to the Veiled Lands, replete with evil Naga armies, mythical creatures and a supervillain who will stop at nothing to reach the elusive Gateway of Moksha.

Vishnu, the Supreme Being, is the preserver, the protector of the good and the guardian of dharma. Seated on Adi Shesha, the many-hooded serpent, in the primeval waters, he watches over his devotees and rewards the pious. And whenever dharma is in danger, he incarnates himself on earth to rid it of evil. Beginning with an investigation of the possible non-Vedic, Dravidian origins of Vishnu, this book describes his form, aspects and attributes, and his avatars or incarnations: Matsya, the fish; Kurma, the tortoise; Varaha, the boar; Narasimha, the man-lion; Vamana, the dwarf; Parashurama; Rama; Krishna; and Kalki, the final destroyer. Combining the skill of a storyteller with the insight of a scholar, Nanditha Krishna has brought to glorious life perhaps the most powerful and revered god in the Hindu pantheon.