Kāma's Flowers


Book Description

Kama's Flowers documents the transformation of Hindi poetry during the crucial period of 1885-1925. As Hindi was becoming a national language and Indian nationalism was emerging, Hindi authors articulated a North Indian version of modernity by reenvisioning nature. While their writing has previously been seen as an imitation of European Romanticism, Valerie Ritter shows its unique and particular function in North India. Description of the natural world recalled traditional poetics, particularly erotic and devotional poetics, but was now used to address sociopolitical concerns, as authors created literature to advocate for a "national character" and to address a growing audience of female readers. Examining Hindi classics, translations from English poetry, literary criticism, and little-known popular works, Ritter combines translations with fresh literary analysis to show the pivotal role of nature in how modernity was understood. Bringing a new body of literature to English-language readers, Kama's Flowers also reveals the origins of an influential visual culture that resonates today in Bollywood cinema.




Plant Inventory


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Siva


Book Description

Originally published under the title Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva, this book traces the development of an Indian approach to an enduring human dilemma: the conflict between spiritual aspirations and human desires. The work examines hundreds of related myths and a wide range of Indian texts--Vedic, Puranic, classical, modern, and tribal--centering on the stories of the great ascetic, Siva, and his erotic alter ego, Kama.




Courting in Marriage


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Plant Inventory


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Got Sun?


Book Description

Are you looking for more butterflies and birds in your yard? Do you enjoy seasonal color and beauty? Are you concerned about environmental issues such as water conservation and pollution control? Do you yearn for simple, maintenance-free gardening? Arranged in a question-and-answer format, Got Sun? showcases native trees, shrubs, ground covers, ferns, vines, grasses, and over 100 sun-friendly perennials for your home garden. Illustrated with detailed drawings and beautiful color photographs, this is a book to keep close at hand as you plan and plant your garden.




Healing with Flowers


Book Description

A lavishly illustrated look at the mythological, historical origins, healing powers and medicine of flowers. The healing power of flowers permeates every aspect of our lives. Flowers help us mark every event and ceremony from birth to death and bring us joy and solace throughout the years. They have inspired poets, authors and artists and come to symbolise the whole range of human experience. From exuberant red peonies to sweet-smelling primroses, exotic lilies and heavenly-scented roses, flowers have the power to reconnect us with the conscious intelligence of nature that we are a part of and to heal our ills in a myriad of ways. Healing with Flowers is Anne McIntyre's revised and expanded edition of her previous work The Complete Floral Healer and it tells us the story of flowers and reminds us of their significance, which is as powerful today as it was in ancient times. Beautifully illustrated with vibrant colour photographs by Julie Bruton-Seal, the book explores sixty-four flowers from around the world - from Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) to Heartsease (Viola tricolor) alongside chapters on edible flowers, growing and gathering and distilling flowers. Each flower entry reveals the plant's historical and folkloric importance, details the modern medicinal use of the flower as a herbal remedy relating to its biochemical constituents, and explores its use in aromatherapy, homoeopathy and as a flower essence. A deeper understanding of the unique character of each flower - its story, personality and energy - is woven through this book and is a key resource for anyone who loves flowers, as well as gardeners and herbalists alike.







Silappadhikaaram of Ilango Adigal


Book Description

Translation of an ancient Tamil epic.