Five Authors Unveil “Birthing the Goddess: The Feminine and the Idea of Birth”

Book “Birthing the Goddess: The Feminine and the Idea of Birth”, edited by Seema Kohli and contributed by Anamika Roy, Janet Chawla, Nilima Chitgopekar, Seema Kohli, Stella Dupuis. ‘Birthing the Goddess’ showcases the extraordinary births of deities who transcended the boundaries of the womb and semi-religious figures brought forth by traditions across culture. It delves into the artistic representations that bring these birth narratives to life, offering a delightful exploration brimming with insightful scholarship and innovative ideas about the multifaceted nature of birth.

Concept

“Birthing the Goddess—The Feminine and the Idea of Birth” for which Seema Kohli wrote an essay. And editorial, for the first time, ever. It is an exploration of the Birthing myths and tradition. Five close friends come together again for their second journey.

Anamika Roy’s fascinating essay in this book traces the birth of Radha, a female deity emerging in the early medieval Indian religious and literary scenario. Nilima Chitgopekar’s essay is a visually charged, vivid and evocative tracing of the birth and feats of Durga, popularly known as Mahishasurmardini for her battle against the demon Mahishasur. Durga’s is a phenomenal birth, again not from the womb.

Stella Dupui’s takes us through a magnificent ride around the world, from the stories of Amazonian woman warrior fighters to the Sati memorial stones of India, legends and sculptural images of Matsyendranath in Ladakh.

Janet’s essay in this book is only a fragment of her 25 year-long fascinating research on the traditional birthing practices across India.

Seema Kohli navigated around the continuity of birth and death through the ideas of ‘Hiranyagarbha’ and Martanda.

It brings together phenomenal births of gods and goddesses that did not occur from the womb, and that of semi-religious figures, who were ‘created’ by tradition. “Birthing the Goddess” is a delightful dive into the artistic representation of the many spiritual tales on birth. It is a collection of essays brimming with brilliant scholarship and creative ideas on the many facets of birth.