Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the image of the abducted male. It describes the issue of divinizing in the Brahmavaivarta Purana related to the importance of the character of Radha/Radhika. The book also focuses on the goddess Minakshi and on the ways she has become an important symbol for Madurai and the Tamil people. It deals with the relation between a local deity Hardaul and the deified prince of Orchha bearing this name. The book examines studies the worship of young females who are said to embody goddesses. It discusses the divinizing of Sree Narayana Guru, a member of the Izhava caste, and a product of the colonial time period in Kerala, who critiqued and rejected some of the customary practices within the caste oriented society of early twentieth century Kerala, and pioneered socioreligious reform movements.