Sakti Cult in Orissa

CONTENTS Preface vii List of B/W Figures xv List of Coloured Illustrations xix CHAPTER ONE AUTOCHITHONOUS ROOTS OF SAKTI CULT IN ORISSA 11 1 The Austro-Asiatic Cultural Heritage of Orissa 12 2 The Dravidian Cultural Heritage of Orissa 18 3 Worship of the Female principle in Pre-Patriarchal Societies 23 4 Worship of Malevolent Female Deities and Spirits 25 5 Aniconic Representation of Goddesses 28 6 Links between Sakti and Naga Cults 35 7 Links between Sakti and Yaksa Cults 45 8 Sakti Cult and Tribal Shamanism 52 9 CHAPTER TWO SAKTI CULT IN ORISSA IN THE HISTORICAL PERIOD 67 1 Rise of Sakti Cult in the Gupta Age 68 2 Sakti Cult in the Post-Gupta Period 80 3 Sakta Tantrism in the Bhauma Epoch 89 4 The Kapalikas and Kaulas in Orissa 116 5 Sakti Cult in the Somavamsi Period 130 6 Cult Syncreticism in the Ganga and Suryavamsi Periods 140 7 Proliferation of Royal Goddesses in the Later Medieval Period 155 8 Final Considerations 169 CHAPTER THREE IMPORTANT SAKTA CENTRES OF ORISSA 171 1 Jajpur 172 2 Purusottama or Puri 179 3 Kakatpur 185 4 Jahankad 193 5 Banki 198 6 Gopalprasad, Talcher 201 7 Banpur 204 8 Ekamra or Bhubaneswar 207 CHAPTER FOUR MANIFESTATIONS OF SAKTI 213 1 Durga 214 2 Camunda 237 3 The Divine Mothers 259 4 Varahi 283 5 64 Yoginis 293 6 Serpent Goddesses 307 7 Parvati 317 8 Sri-Lakshmi 327 CHAPTER FIVE SAKTA FESTIVALS AND RITUALS 337 1 The Cycle of the Caitra Festivals 338 2 The Cycle of the Asvina and Karttika Festivals 356 3 Other important Sakta Festivals of Orissa 372 4 The Tradition of Human sacrifice in Orissa 393 Conclusion 411 B/W Figures 419 Colour Plates 459 Glossary 479 Bibliography 493 Index 499