Mumbai 19 May 2015 : Author Dr. Shrikala Warrier, a London based scholar, unveils her insightful book ‘Kamandalu: The Seven Sacred Rivers of Hinduism’.
The Seven Sacred Rivers of Hinduism’ by Shrikala Warrier draws extensively on the Vedas, Puranas and Hindu epics to present the mythological stories relating to the seven sacred rivers, namely, Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sindhu, Godavari, Narmada and Kaveri, the towns and cities along their course that were designated as tirthas, and the practices connected with river goddess worship. The shared concerns of sacred and secular ecology in modern India are also discussed.
Shrikala Warrier is an anthropologist with a Ph.D from the University of London and has developed the first validated degree programme for Ayurveda in the West. Her book ‘Kamandalu’ describes the 7 sacred rivers in India and their correlation with Hindu Mythology.
About the Book
Hindu theology views rivers as goddesses who confer blessings and spiritual purification. The release of celestial waters from the grip of ‘Vritra’, the demon dragon, to flow down from the heavens and relieve drought on earth, is a recurring theme in Hindu mythology.
‘Kamandalu: The Seven Sacred Rivers of Hinduism’ by Shrikala Warrier draws extensively on the Vedas, Puranas and Hindu epics to present the mythological stories relating to the seven sacred rivers, namely, Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sindhu, Godavari, Narmada and Kaveri, the towns and cities along their course that were designated as tirthas, and the practices connected with river goddess worship. The shared concerns of sacred and secular ecology in modern India are also discussed.
The book is tastefully presented in hardback with 20 colour illustrations and provides a comprehensive reference list, explanatory notes and a detailed glossary which should make it a useful resource for research scholars and academics. Written in a lucid, engaging style, it should also appeal to a wider readership with an interest in Hinduism and Comparative Religion.
The book is now on sale at Watkins, a leading bookseller in London and through Amazon.
About the Author
Prof. Shrikala Warrier is an anthropologist with a Ph.D from the University of London. She developed the first validated degree programme for Ayurveda in the West and is the Dean of MAYUR University, a small private institution in London. She comes from the well-known community of Warriers in Kerala, India, which has traditionally been connected with temples, Ayurveda and other aspects of Hindu culture.
Dr. Warrier is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has undertaken research for several organizations, including the National Health Service in the UK, World Health Organization, British Red Cross, The King’s Fund and Helen House, the first children’s hospice in the world. She has contributed to several anthologies of ethnographic studies in the UK and one of her books which provides a cross-cultural perspective on rites of passage and the celebration of festivals has been widely used as a resource in schools, colleges and other institutions in Britain and as recommended reading for undergraduate degrees in Religious Studies at some universities in the USA.