Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College and Columbia University. Rachel’s research focuses on goddess-centered Hindu traditions in Bengal and Bangladesh, and on South Asian poetic traditions. Her books include Mother of My Heart, Daughter of My Dreams: Kali and Uma in the Devotional Poetry of Bengal, and Revelry, Rivalry, and Longing for the Goddesses of Bengal: The Fortunes of Hindu Festivals.
Dr. Rachel McDermott
Introduction to the Study of Hinduism