At the very outset, I wish to clarify that this is not a new work : This WebGuruCool Indological Studies 3 incorporates parts of my work, Encyclopaedia of Indian Coins (Ancient Coins of Northern India up to c 650 AD), a two-volume set, published by Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi, in 2012. The main object behind undertaking this publication is to make information about the divinities and their symbols, appearing on ancient Indian coins, available to students, who may be interested, but are unable to access the Encyclopaedia. On a more selfish note, it is a sort of an advertisement for the Encyclopaedia. It is hoped that a perusal of this WebGuruCool Indological Studies 3 may whet the appetite of the readers for the Encyclopaedia. For a brief survey of ancient Indian coinage system, I would refer the reader to the Introduction of my Encyclopaedia of Indian Coins (Ancient Coins of Northern India up to c 650 AD) 1, to my Gleanings in Ancient Indian Numismatics, and to my joint work with Professor K K Thaplyal, Coins of Ancient India. In the Dictionary proper, the divinites and their symbols, occurring on ancient Indian coins, have been arranged in an alphabetical order. The Select Bibliography begins at page number 195. I acknowledge, with a profound sense of gratitude, the inspiration I always receive from my Guru, Professor K K Thaplyal, and the warm support extended to me by my family, and extended family of students—Wife Dr Nidhi Srivastava, daughters Pratichi and Purvi, son-in-law Kumar Aishvarya, and students Dr Umesh Singh, Dr Jitesh Kumar Singh, Sushil Chand and Abhay Pratap Singh Rajawat. 27 November 2022. Prashant Srivastava.

India has enjoyed a fantastically abundant and functionally diverse tapestry of sources, which throw much welcomed revelatory light on the circumstances, conditions and contexts of the day, 'as they were prevailing' in India (Majumdar, 1960). While their veracity is beyond being infallible, their veracity questionable, their authenticity mis-aligned, but their aid in supplementing afore us un-ignorable data of the period concerned, and the appearance of a differing perspective, not necessarily bounded by socio-cultural mores, socio ritual paradigms and geopolitical constraints, makes their utilization more interesting, immersing, and enlightening in its own merit. Surely, Banabhatta vividly and veraciously describes the life and legends of Harsha, but without Hsieun-Tsang, they are incomplete, non-corroborated, biased and, in some cases, even non-conclusive (Devahuti, 1970: p. 14). In this capacity, Al-beruni plays a critical and crucial role in not just supplying us with a vantage viewpoint, but with calculative and constructive comments on the life and times in India, especially during a period when a novel religio cultural change was about to make its commencement felt in the geo-political constructions inside India, in the Early Medieval Age (Eraly, 2014). A feather in the cap is offered by the extraordinary scholastic ambitions and cerebral cognizance of Al-beruni, who took sufficiently advanced measures to infuse accuracy and exactitude in his historiographical and anthropological writings, besides perfecting his art of the Scientific Method (Sachau, 1914: p. 38). The craft of Al-beruni combined the best of both worlds, which left behind a holistic corpus of masterly commentaries on the quotidian practices of the common people, while his deliberate avoidance of positioning focus on the economic political elites makes his work subalternin its vision. This paper shall attempt to provide a contextual glance and analytical glimpse of the errands and endeavours of Al-beruni, and highlight the academic and scholastic contours of his life and legacy.

This paper embodies my keynote address to the seminar on 'Pañchāla and Other Local Coins and Seals: Revisiting and Updating the Numismatic Source of History', organized by the Pañchāla Museum of the MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, a few years back. In this paper, after making a brief survey of Pañchāla coinage, I have dwelt on certain aspects of Pañchāla numismatics. At the end of the paper, I have dealt with a Buddhist seal from Sankissa, mainly to show how seals, too, may be used as a source of history. The proceedings of the Seminar were never published. I have, therefore, decided to publish that Keynote Address in the form of WebGuruCool Indological Studies 7. I acknowledge, with a profound sense of gratitude, the inspiration I always receive from my Guru, Professor K K Thaplyal, and the warm support I always receive from my family -Wife Dr Nidhi Srivastava, daughters Pratichi and Purvi, son-in-law Kumar Aishvarya, and my extended family of students. 12 June 2024. Prashant Srivastava.

Over a decade ago, I got interested in Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who came to be worshipped as a female bodhisattva, Kuan-yin, in China. I found this transformation intriguing, and worth further enquiry. These enquiries resulted in a paper, Avalokiteoevara/Kuan-yin and the Transformation from a Male Divinity into a Female One, published in S D Trivedi (ed), The Glorious Heritage of India (in Memory of Prof R C Sharma) 2, Delhi, 2010. The Commemoration Volume, dedicated to Prof R C Sharma, was a costly multi-volume set, and not easily accessible to the students. Hence, I decided to present my findings, as the fifth in the series of WebGuruCool Indological Studies. The original paper, in the Commemoration Volume, was published without any illustrations. I have endeavoured to correct that situation in this publication of WebGuruCool. I acknowledge, with a profound sense of gratitude, the inspiration I always receive from my Guru, Professor K K Thaplyal, and the warm support extended to me by my family—Wife Dr Nidhi Srivastava, daughters Pratichi and Purvi, son-in-law Kumar Aishvarya, and my extended family of students. 12 September 2023. Prashant Srivastava.

Once again, at the very outset, I wish to clarify that this is not a new work : This WebGuruCool Indological Studies 4 incorporates parts of my work, Encyclopaedia of Indian Coins (Ancient Coins of Northern India up to c 650 AD), a two-volume work, published by Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi, in 2012. The main object behind undertaking this publication is my wish to make information about ancient Indian coin denominations, available to students, who may be interested, but are unable to access the Encyclopaedia. On a more selfish note, it is a sort of an advertisement for the Encyclopaedia. It is hoped that a perusal of this WebGuruCool Indological Studies 4 may whet the appetite of the readers for the Encyclopaedia. For a brief survey of ancient Indian coinage system, I would refer the reader to the Introduction of my Encyclopaedia of Indian Coins (Ancient Coins of Northern India up to c 650 AD) 1, to my Gleanings in Ancient Indian Numismatics, and to my joint work with Professor K K Thaplyal, Coins of Ancient India. In the Dictionary proper, ancient Indian coin denominations have been arranged in an alphabetical order. Significant ancient texts, mentioning coin denominations, have also been included. I acknowledge, with a profound sense of gratitude, the inspiration I always receive from my Guru, Professor K K Thaplyal, and the warm support extended to me by my family, and extended family of students—Wife Dr Nidhi Srivastava, daughters Pratichi and Purvi, son-in-law Kumar Aishvarya, and students Dr Umesh Singh, Dr Jitesh Kumar Singh, Sushil Chand and Abhay Pratap Singh Rajawat. 04 February 2023. Prashant Srivastava.

Containing around 1,800 entries this Dictionary covers, in one volume, all the important deities and demons from around the world. The gods of ancient mythology appear alongside the gods of contemporary religion, and `lesser' mythologies and religions are also fully covered. The author provides an extensive network of cross-references, allowing the reader to draw cross-cultural comparisons. The Dictionary will be an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in comparative religion or the diversity of religious views throughout the world.

"Hinduism is the term now used to summarize the religious aspirations of the majority of Indians. It includes a variety of highly intellectual, metaphysical and philosophical systems, as well as the naive demonology and magico-religious beliefs of the masses. Hinduism is also a synthesis of three, originally separate religious traditions: the Dravidian, the Aryan and the aboriginal." "Although many Westerners regard Hinduism as polytheistic, this view does not take into consideration the sophisticated basis of the tradition as seen in the ancient Rgveda where a transcendental Oneness is perceived that manifests Itself only partially in this world to "create" apparent forces which appear to human beings as separate deifies, thus there are as many gods as there are aspects of creation." "Many deifies are depicted with a multiplicity of arms, heads, and emblems, so distinguishing them from ordinary mortals as well as pointing to the immense potentiality of the Divine that is forever beyond the comprehension of human beings."--BOOK JACKET.