Penguin Releases Renuka Narayanan’s MAHADEV

He’s as vast as the universe itself and within him reside endless stories

A little girl asks who Shiva is and it is the beginning of a family journey through stories and incidents across the expanse of Shivbhumi-all the way from the mystical Mount Kailash to the fabled Ocean of Milk and the netherworld.

Story after story from across India takes us closer to this elusive but much-loved god of gods, the Mahadev-his avatars and his lilas; his drinking the Kalakuta poison to save the world and his grief at the passing of Sati; his restoration as a householder and his eternal identity as the Mahayogi; his temples and their history; and his quirky, tender and wholly unpredictable involvement with the mortals who love him.

Writing in the Harikatha style of traditional storytelling, Renuka Narayanan builds a unique narrative to draw the reader into the loving, giving world of Mahadev.

About the Author

Renuka Narayanan writes on religion and culture. She was the Arts Editor of the Indian Express, where she also wrote a column on religion for the editorial page. She was editor, Religion & Culture, Hindustan Times and the start-up director of the Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Bangkok.

Her published books include The Book of Prayer, Faith: Filling the God-sized Hole, The Little Book of Indian Wisdom and The Path of Light-Tales from the Upanishads, Jatakas and Indic Lore. She lives in Delhi.