DEPICTION OF SAPTAMATRKAS IN INDIAN ART BY DR. SANJAYA KUMAR MAHAPATRA ( HARD COVER )

Śakti is the Mother of the Universe: the highest primal power. She is the all-pervading, intangible energy principle that propels the cosmos and its endless human dimensions with the life-throbs of activity and culture. The Saptamātṛkās known as Seven Divine Little Mothers are the manifestations of Śakti. The cult of Saptamātṛkā is of considerable antiquity. The Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas and other literary texts have provided vivid accounts of the origin of the little Mother Goddesses. The author besides emphasizing on the literary descriptions of Matrikas has also discussed the emergence and representation of the Saptamātṛkās along with the iconographical interpretation as the Goddesses have occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages.