In the first part of this paper, as an introduction, I would like to look at the history of spiritual women from the times of the Rig Veda down through the centuries to understand how this phenomenon has been a constant presence in the spiritual landscape of India over time. I will not be just listing names of the spiritual leaders but am more interested in trying to understand the underlying broad socio-cultural dimensions of the different manifestations of spirituality in the Vedic, medieval, and modern periods in the course of the history of Hinduism.

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