Synopsis An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Indian Mythology is the first title in the series on an Encyclopaedic dictionary of Indian History and Culture. The volume proposes to deal with Indian mythology in all its aspects. The Indian mythology is probably the most complicated and the oldest mythologies in the world. The origin of this mythology can be traced to the first book of mankind – the Rigveda. The mythology was developed in the two epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and found its culmination in the Puranas. The deeds of the gods and goddesses and also of ancient heroes have moulded the psyche of Indians. The volume has three sections: (1) Historical Perspectives; (2) Encyclopaedic Entries from A to Z and (3) Bibliography. The volume does not contain a section on chronology as it is well-nigh impossible to provide creditable data for the personalities or deeds related to the theme. The first section Historical Perspectives has two chapters: The first role of mythology in world civilizations. The second chapter deals with the sources and evolution of Indian mythology. There is a brief discussion of the Buddhist, Jain, Islamic, Sikh, Christian, and tribal mythologies besides a detailed exposition of the Hindu pantheon.