India Land of Dreams and Fantasy

India has long been imagined as a land of colour, variety and dreamlike contrasts - of brilliant silks, holy men, pilgrims, snow-capped peaks and sacred rivers. This book moves through that imagined and real India, from the serene white marble of the Taj Mahal to the elaborate temple towers adorned with Hindu deities. It looks closely at the complex, ancient civilisation still at work in every village, town and region - its architecture, crafts, art, agriculture and social organisation, its religions and festivals, all woven into daily life. It is also a portrait of continuity: a heritage that today's Indians draw upon as they build new institutions, and a shared ambition, across generations, to create whole and satisfying lives within the embrace of the land itself.