Chapter 1

Aranya Devi Temple, Arrah, Bihar

Meet Aranyani, the goddess of forests. She is worthy of worship for being the guardian deity of sacred sanctuaries, woodlands and jungles.

Forests are considered to be the home of female energy, or goddess Shakti. They are believed to function under the protective control of female spirits, who can be both fierce and benign. In Bengali, the guardian spirit of the forest is called Bonbibi and in Kannada, she is called Vana Durga.