Śakti is the Mother of the Universe: the highest primal power. She is the all-pervading, intangible energy principle that propels the cosmos and its endless human dimensions with the life throbs of activity and culture. The Saptamātṛkās known as Seven Divine Little Mothers are the manifestations of Śakti. The cult of Saptamātṛkā is of considerable antiquity. The Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas and other literary texts have provided vivid accounts of the origin of the little Mother Goddesses. The author besides emphasizing the literary descriptions of Matrikas has also discussed the emergence and representation of the Saptamātṛkās along with the iconographical interpretation as the Goddesses have occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages.
 
A large number of Saptamātṛkā panels and images are noticed from our sub-continent ranging from the Ist century A.D. to the 13th century A.D. Here the author presents rich and variegated pictures of the Seven Little Mothers which glorify the Art History of India highlighting the iconography of individual images with special reference to the Śilpa and Tantric texts. He focuses on different depictions of Saptamātṛkā images. The book also incorporates the genesis of the Śakti cult, sākta piṭhas of Odisha, the origin and evolution of the Goddesses, and a survey of prominent sculptures found both in Odisha and other Indian States. The extensive fieldwork and hundreds of portrayals of the Saptamātṛkās have made this book colourful as well as the first of its kind. The work abounds in photographs revealing the variety of forms of the Goddesses which will create interest for scholars and students of Indology, particularly those studying religious art, architecture and sculpture of Odisha in particular and that of India in general.