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1.) 7 Secrets of Shiva
Shiva, `the destroyer` among the Hindu trinity (of gods), is depicted in many contradictory manners. He is an ascetic who wears animal skin, his body smeared with ashes. Contradictory to his wild nature, he is also depicted as having a family, with a beautiful wife and two children.
There are many more such varied representations of Shiva, the most prominent of these being the Linga and the Nataraja. The author, Devdutt Pattanaik, introduces the readers to these varied aspects and representations, and then sets about interpreting them.
He explains the different anomalies and conflicts in beliefs, things that might puzzle people who are not familiar with Hindu culture and religious symbolism.
The author has taken up seven aspects of Shiva worship from Hinduism, which are nothing but seven different forms of Shiva worship. Shiva is worshipped in many forms, as the Lingeshwara, Kala Bhairava, Sundareshwara, Shankara, and Nataraja, and the author goes into each form and analyzes what it represents.
He also discusses Shivas two sons, Ganesha and Karthikeya. He goes into the symbolism behind these forms and provides his interpretation. This book serves as a nice introduction to Shaivite concepts and explains many stories, both known and unknown, the symbolism, and rituals and the reasons behind Hindu worship.2.) 7 Secrets of Vishnu
It is significant that the stories of Vishnu rose to prominence after the rise of Buddhism. Prior to that, Hinduism was the religion of the elite-based complex rituals known as yagna and esoteric speculations captured in texts known as the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. These seemed very distant to the common man who focused on fertility rituals, worship of plants and animals and nature. 3.) 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art
7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art is a book written by Devdutt Pattanaik that explores the Hindu calendar art. Hindu mythology talks of hundreds and thousands of gods and goddesses. It also consists of various characters that form an essential part of the Hindu mythology. These gods, goddesses, and characters are visually represented through calendar art. This calendar art is colorful and fantastic. However, the author in this book explains that this art is a democratic expression of a mythic imagery. This imagery was initially restricted to temple walls and palm leaf manuscripts, but with the calendar, this form of art has reached the common man. The book comprises the portraits of the Hindu pantheon of gods along with the associated stories. The Hindu mythology is full of symbols, and each image is like one of the pieces of the ancient metaphysical puzzle. This book tries to decode the symbols and hence successfully unleashes the wisdom behind the legends. A Black and white representation of the imageries are used in the book so that the reader does not get inflicted by colors. Moreover, the emphasis is more on the visual meaning rather than the quality of the image.ISBN-9789382618065
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