Reciting the Goddess
Narratives of Place and the Making of Hinduism in Nepal
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz
Reviews and Awards
Winner of the AAR Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Textual Studies
"I have no criticisms of this book, just awe for the magnitude of the work involved!... And now, as of 2018, the goddess is made known in an insightful, beautifully written scholarly book that widens her reach to those outside her place. As one of those people, I am most grateful to Jessica Vatine Birkenholtz." -- Rachel McDermott, Barnard College
"Overall, this is a well-written and well-researched volume that offers much to those interested in Nepali Hinduism, the Hindu goddess tradition, ritual studies, and the sociocultural dynamics of a staunchly Hindu Nepal. While Birkenholtz thoroughly explains and contextualizes her arguments, this work is best suited for those familiar with the goddess traditions of the Bhakti movement and their manifestations across the Hindu diaspora." -- Ajay Dave, The University of Texas at Dallas, Journal of Dharma Studies
"a well-written and well-researched volume that offers much to those interested in Nepali Hinduism, the Hindu goddess tradition, ritual studies, and the sociocultural dynamics of a staunchly Hindu Nepal." -- Ajay Dave, Journal of Dharma Studies
"Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz presents the first critical study of the Svastānīvratakathā (SVK), the textual tradition of the Hindu goddess Svasthānī. Birkenholtz provides both a textual-historical as well as an ethnographic study, encompassing the many faces of one of the most popular religious traditions in Nepal ... This careful critical study deserves all the attention it can get." --Dolores Zoé Bertschinger, Reading Religion
"Svasthani -simultaneously goddess, text, and ritual practice-is a unique Nepali Hindu tradition. In this important and eagerly anticipated study, Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz brings her skills as textual historian and ethnographer to bear on its history, origins, and contemporary significance. Indispensable for the history and culture of Nepal, the volume will also appeal to anyone interested in regional Hinduism or ritual traditions."--David N. Gellner, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Oxford
"In tracing the emergence of a Goddess tradition in Nepal, Birkenholtz makes a ground-breaking contribution not only to South Asian Studies, but to the field of Religion in general. The socio-political influences that have contributed to the Goddess Svasthani's rise from an obscure local deity to the dominant religious expression in Nepal are not only hugely relevant to how we can understand the emergence of the great pan-Indian Puranic traditions of Siva, Vishnu, and the major Goddess forms, but to the evolutionary nature of religious traditions in general."--Edwin Bryant, Professor of Hinduism, Rutgers University
"Reciting the Goddess uses the Svasthani tradition as a window to see socio-cultural realities of pre-modern and modern Nepal, and even beyond. Jessica Birkenholtz highlights the role women play as protagonists in the narratives and participants in the ritual. She sheds light on the interrelation of Sanskrit, Newar, and Nepali, three of the culturally most important languages of Nepal, and skillfully describes how the Newar language represents the local perspective whereas the Nepali language represents a regional perspective. In short, this is an excellent book and deserves praise."--Diwakar Acharya, Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, University of Oxford
