The Little Book of Hindu Deities

Chanced upon the gheehappy website. An extremely cute and adorable looking Krishna welcomes you to the site. A little browsing revealed that they sell an equally delightful looking book called "The Little Book of Hindu Deities"

A page on Shiva says : "At his other side, he has a drum so he can kick up his heels when he's done meditating." Reading about Ganesha reminded me of the first few lines in Girish Karnad's play 'Hayavadana'. The Bhagavata in the play asks Ganesha "the destroyer of obstacles, who removes all hurdles and crowns all endeavours with success, bless our performance now." The Little Book of Hindu deities explains Ganesha's nature in the following fashion: "In a panic to appease his distraught wife, Shiva brought Ganesha back to life and gave him the head of an elephant. It wasn't a perfect match, but Ganesha's elephant ears have served him well, the better to hear the needs of his people." Teehee! Cute!

Comics Worth Reading has a short review on the book:

This adorable work is a wonderful introduction to Hindu culture, and the cartoon illustrations in vibrant colors are immediately welcoming.

Author Sanjay Patel is a Pixar animator, and it shows in the way that his simple single drawings have a sense of motion and life about them. Each of 30-some gods, manifestations, avatars, and demigods gets a page of explanation, accompanied by a full-page illustration. Patel also includes information on epics, planets, and the chronology of creation.

It’s obviously educational, but it’s fun as well. I think this would make a terrific teacher for students of any ages who wanted to learn more about Hinduism.

View sample pages of the book here.

There is also an awesome page sprinkled with lovely sketches. Go, go, go! See for yourself!

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