(same as REL_ST 3260). This course examines the vast range of Hindu Goddesses and their worship in South Asia. It includes information about goddess origins, mythology, symbolism, and attendant ritual practices. In order to approach this topic, background information about the history of Hinduism, major religious narratives, devotional practices, and iconographic representations of the divine are discussed. The course introduces the approaches of various scholars to Hindu Goddess worship within the context of religion, social relations, and gender roles, and explores ways in which South Asian women experience and negotiate feminine power in contemporary socio-cultural contexts.