kala acharyaholds a doctorate in Sanskrit from the University of Mumbai and is di-
rector of the K. J. Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham, Mumbai, a research and teach-
ing institute focused on the development and preservation of Sanskrit language and lit-
erature and the fostering of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. She is the author
ofThe Puranic Concept of Dana(1993) and Buddhanusmriti(2002), and editor, with
Lalita Namjoshi, ofA Dialogue: Hindu-Christian Cosmology and Religion(1999), as well
as many other works on the Indian bhaktimovement and Hindu-Christian relations.
lalitambika antarjanam(1909–1987), a well-known author and poet, was born into
a progressive family within the conservative Nambudiri (Kerala Brahmin) community.
Antarjanam (“woman in the inner courtyard”) is a traditional suffix added to the first
names of Nambudiri women. A number of Lalitambika’s works of fiction deal with the
struggles of Nambudiri women against gender oppression; several are set in the context
of the Indian freedom movement. Lalitambika is especially remembered for her collec-
tions of short stories, including Aayira Thiri (A Thousand Wicks). Her novel Agni Sak-
shi(Witness by Fire) received India’s highest literary honor, the Sahitya Akademi
Award, in 1977 and was also made into a popular movie.
om lata bahaduris the author of two best-selling books on Hinduism: The Gods of
the Hindus (2001) and A Book of Hindu Festivals and Ceremonies (1994). The latter, from
which the essay in this volume has been excerpted, has been reprinted ten times to date
since it was first published.