The Lajjagauri and Anandanayaki: A New Light on the Nature and Worship of the Adi-Mata, the Primordial Mother

Lajjagauri is perhaps one of India’s oldest goddesses with images of her in South Asia dating back to the Indus Civilisation c. 3,000 to 1,500 BC. Her devotees can be traced back even earlier to the Ukraine c. 10,000 BCE. In India, new finds continue to expand the geographical spread of Lajjagauri’s devotees, most recently to Odisa. Dhere’s work on Lajjagauri is based on tireless pursuits of her image throughout western India. In contrast to the other thousands of Indian goddesses whose images are super abundant, Lajjagauri has become more reclusive as other deities have risen.