This collection presents 145 brief Bengali lyric poems dedicated to the Hindu goddesses Kali and Uma. These poems were written from the early-18th century up to the contemporary period. They represent the Bengali tradition of goddess worship (Saktism) as it developed over this period.

"This book has now set the standard in the field of Bangala Sakta literary studies and, I would venture to guess, will maintain that position for years to come. Singing to the Goddess is both a text to use in the classroom and a poetry anthology to savor." --Journal of American Oriental Society "This book has now set the standard in the field of Bangala Sakta literary studies and, I would venture to guess, will maintain that position for years to come. Singing to the Goddess is both a text to use in the classroom and a poetry anthology to savor." --Journal of American Oriental Society "These poems are a delight. The translations are elegant and faithful to the original Bengali. [. . .] [Singing to the Goddess] is highly recommended to those interested in [Indian Goddess devotion], and to those interested in Bengali culutre in general. [. . .] McDermott has done well here."--The Journal of Asian Studies