The Goddess of Place, Place of the Goddess

Chapter 2 investigates the goddess Svasthānī herself. Svasthānī, “the Goddess of One’s Own Place,” serves as a relatively recent and tangible case study for understanding the birth and transformation of a goddess. In this case, a popular, but elusive, goddess transformed from a relatively invisible, unembodied, private, fluid goddess into a visible, embodied, public, fixed, local protector of place and, significantly, the embodiment of a place to be protected. Her striking transformation is evidenced by changes in her iconography and growing physical presence in Nepal, and reflects the ongoing interaction between Tantric and Brahmanical influences in this local goddess tradition. Her personal transformation further mirrors the trajectory of the Svasthānīvratakathā narrative tradition more broadly.