The Buddhist goddess Hariti, comparable to the brahmanical Sitala, has a dramatic life story with many ups and downs. Born to a Yakhsa king, married into another important yaksha family, she turns into a child-eating ogress. Ultimately she is converted by Sakyamuni Buddha himself and attains arhatship. Riding on the Buddhist wave, she becomes a cult figure and travels to Central Asia, Nepal, Tibet, China, Java, and Japan.

This book, researched by Madhurika Maheshwari, has more than 160 photographs and line drawings of Hariti's images from different parts of the world.