This work is a study of the shifts in historical context of ritual observances from Vedic to Puranic traditions. It looks into the representations of women in early textual traditions to explore how women's identities are not only established in ritual spaces but are also constantly reworked and negotiated. It is in this context that this book attempts to 're-read' the Matsyamahapurana and through the study of vratas and myths, reconstruct the anxieties that theological traditions have with regard to women and women's responses to these anxieties
