Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Lord Vishnu's consort, is a versatile goddess who functions at two levels. She is a source of strength and inspiration for Lord Vishnu and helps him whenever he is called upon to save the world from evil. And at another level, she showers blessings on all her devotees who worship her with love and devotion, and turns her back on all those who are immoral and deceitful. The stories in this book explore her multi-faceted persona centred around both these roles. The book, apart from narrating wisdom tales from Indian mythology, introduces the child to the world of new words. The words have been carefully chosen by a panel of experts and are explained in detail at the end of the book in a glossary.

Goddess Durga was created out of the combined power of all gods to destroy the evil demon Mahishasura who had overthrown the gods from their heavenly abode. This book details the several demons who posed a threat to the very existence of the race of the gods and man and how each one met a dastardly end at the hands of this supreme divine mother!

Parvati is an incarnation of the Divine Mother, Goddess Durga and wife of Lord Shiva. She is the gentler form of Goddess Durga and is a home-maker, with a husband and children. However, Goddess Parvati herself is very accomplished and skilled enough to fight the demons single-handedly. She too is considered to be a supreme goddess from whom other shaktis (divine energies) are derived. This book tells the tale of how Parvati won Lord Shiva as her husband and how she helped her husband during times of trouble. The book, apart from narrating wisdom tales from Indian mythology, introduces the child to the world of new words. The words have been carefully chosen by a panel of experts and are explained in detail at the end of the book in a glossary.

The Goddess of knowledge and learning, Saraswati is Lord Brahma s first and most perfect creation. She was the one who helped Lord Brahma create the universe. Saraswati is not a warrior goddess but she uses her wisdom and intellect to help the race of gods and her devotees during times of trouble sometimes by even taking on the form of a river!

The book, apart from narrating wisdom tales from Indian mythology, introduces the child to the world of new words. The words have been carefully chosen by a panel of experts and are explained in detail at the end of the book in a glossary.

This volume is a collection of five Sinhala plays, translated into English, which were written and performed during the most violent phase of modern Sri Lankan history. Ranjini Obeyesekere’s translation of these five well-known and celebrated plays by K. B. Herath, Prasannajith Abeysuriya, Dhananjaya Karunarathne, Prasanna Jayakody and Rajitha Dissanayake highlights and explores the dynamic period of Sri Lankan theater and performance arts in the 1980s and 1990s. The plays in this collection offered a political space for criticism, introspection, discussion and protest during a time of suppression of voices, political violence and terror. Audiences flocked to the theater to watch plays produced by talented dramatists and artists who were experimenting with forms and themes under extremely challenging circumstances, shoe-string budgets and strict censorship. Kanchuka Dharmasiri’s introduction to the volume further details the history and socio-political contexts of the theater of this period, discussing themes such as dissent, identity and the brutal power of the state. She also looks at the unique formal elements employed in these plays as well as their influence and reach. This volume is a significant addition to the growing corpus of Sinhala literature in translation. It will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of literature, performance studies, cultural studies, and the politics and history of Sri Lanka.