Holy Cow & Other Indian Stories

This book has been in the making for nearly decades. In 1982, When I returned form Spain, life as a student burning a hole in my parent's poctket came to an abrupt end and the stark reality of making ends meet become the order of the day. And all I had, besides best wishes of family and friends, was a working knoledge of Spanish. Fortunately, this asset was worth its weight in gold for its is my karma to unviel the secrets of the land of my birth to travelers form across the planet. NOt that I was the last world on the wonderful melange that is India. Indeed, as I got to know my own country, I discovered there are a thousand Indias and the quest to know each of them has kept me on the move ever since. And every time a visitor asks a simple question, I'm amazed that there are so many things about this wonderful land that not only baffle, amuse, horrifya nd attract foreigners. In fact, even a lifetime of study is not enough to produce a single volume which answer all questions. India has a long tradition of transmitting knowledge by way of parables and stories. In this small book, I have attempted to tell the reader, through stories and pictures, what India-its historical tradition, religious customs and societal structure-is all about. So, when you return home and your friends want to ask you why cows are worshipped in India, why love is expressed in marble as in the Taj Mahal, why its's a boon to die and be cremated on the ghats at Varanasi or, indeed, why the teples at Khajuraho are adorned with erotic art, this book has the answoers. Of course, if you want to know more, you can always ask more questions. Or wait for my next Book !