This is a lavishly illustrated exploration of the cultural legacy of ancient India. For 5, 000 years, India has undergone continual transformation, & the past is still very much present in modern-day India. Packed with outstanding photographs accompanying an insightful text, this book traces the evolution of ancient India, examining the major historical events from the 3rd millennium BC until the arrival of the Muslims in the 12th century AD. The text delves into aspects of daily life in ancient India
- the social & political structures, village & city life, arts & aesthetics, & religion. The final section is a useful reference for travellers to India, presenting the country's most important artistic & religious sites, complete with floor plans, close-up details of statues & works of art, & a wealth of photographs that walk us through the country's most significant monuments. Throughout the book, hundreds of images depict the jewellery, statuary, & other artefacts created during each epoch, revealing details of daily life, spiritual beliefs, changes in dress & fashion, advances in technology, & much more. At the back of the book, an extensive glossary explains relevant terms, from abhayamudra (a position of the hands that invites the observer to approach without fear) to yupa (a sacrificial stake). Anyone interested in ancient civilizations will be fascinated by this painstakingly researched & gorgeously illustrated volume.
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More a continent than a county, India is an overload for the senses. From the Himalayan peaks of Sikkim to the tropical backwaters of Kerala, the desert forts of Rajasthan to the mangroves of West Bengal, India's breathtaking diversity of landscapes is matched only by its range of cultures, cuisines, religions & languages. The new, full-colour Rough Guide to India gives you the lowdown on this beguiling country, whether you want to hang out in hyper-modern cities or explore thous&-year-old temples, track tigers through the forest or take part in age-old festivals, get a taste of the Raj or watch a cricket match. & easy-to-use maps, reliable transport advice, & expert reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs & shops for all budgets ensure that you won't miss a thing. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to India. ...

India explores the lives of everyday people in extraordinary settings through the lens of Steve Mc Curry, one of the most admired photographers working today. Explore the lives of everyday people in extraordinary settings through the lens of Steve Mc Curry, one of the most admired photographers working today. This new portfolio of emotive & beautiful photographs from India features 150 previously unpublished images taken across the Indian subcontinent, along with iconic photographs that are famous worldwide. Reproduced in a large format with captions, & an introductory essay, this book features a range of color pictures illustrating this most colorful of countries, capturing the lives of everyday people in extraordinary settings: from the Ganesh festival on Chowpatty beach in Mumbai to the Kolkata railway station before dawn to the flower markets of Kashmir & the streets of Old Delhi. ...

Lonely Planet is the expert on India. Our 13th edition eases you through the spicy diversity of India
- from the thrilling bustle
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A detailed & attractive general map showing relief through altitude tinting, with an inset administrative map also included. Coverage extends beyond India to include the whole of Nepal, Bangladesh & large sections of Myanmar, Pakistan & Afghanistan. The Maldives, Andaman & Nicobar Islands & Eastern India (Assam & surroundings) are shown in insets. Selected peak heights are indicated & some terrain features such as salt flats, glaciers & swamps are distinguished. Several categories of roads are distinguished, including selected minor roads & tracks, with intermediate driving distances marked on many routes. Railways, shipping routes, airports & ports are marked & administrative region boundaries (and disputed frontiers) are shown. Symbols denote major places of worship, palaces, temples, beach resorts, antiquities, archeological sites, museums, tombs, & other places of interest. Lines of latitude & longitude are drawn at 2° intervals. In another inset is a political map at 1:23, 000, 000 showing India’s administrative divisions. The multilingual legend

Includes:: English, Hindi, Russian & Chinese, among others. The index is on the reverse, & for each Indian location states the province in which it lies. Towns in adjacent territories are also indexed.

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India – A Portrait by Patrick French is an intimate biography of 1.2 billion people. The economic & social revolution in India has been one of the big surprises of this century so far. India as a country has long been characterised by such adjectives as ‘timeless’, ‘spiritual’ & ‘backward’ yet, it is now viewed as ‘hi-tech’, ‘go-getting’ & ‘materialistic’. Patrick French, who has spent much of his life engaged with India, examines the real nature of this rapid change & what its roots are by talking to a large cross-section of society, from political leaders to Maoist revolutionaries & from Mafia dons to chained quarry workers. Looking at the cultural foundations that made India’s accelerated transformation from socialist economy to capitalist powerhouse possible; French creates a vivid picture of what it is like to live at a time when, on the one h&, millions have pulled themselves free of poverty, yet on the other h&, violence, corruption & caste prejudice have been equally given new outlets. ...

” India: A Sense of Place” is one of two titles in a new series of travel books designed to be an innovative mix between travelogue & armchair travel. Aimed at a young or young-at-heart audience, they are presented as ideal photo albums of your last favourite trip the one you wish you would have taken the time to put together, without the hassle of sifting through all your crumpled ticket stubs & badly centred photos of monuments hidden behind the heads of strangers. These highly visual & evocative volumes will be seized on by anyone with a love of travel & photography. ...

In 1964 V.S. Naipaul published An Area of Darkness, his semi-autobiographical account of a year in India. Two visits later, prompted by the Emergency of 1975, he came to write India: A Wounded Civilization, in which he casts a more analytical eye over Indian attitudes. In this work, he recapitulates & further investigates the feelings that the vast, mysterious & agonised continent has previously aroused in him. What he sees & what he hears
- evoked so superbly & vividly in this book
- only reinforce in him his conviction that India, wounded by a thousand years of foreign rule, has not yet found an ideology of regeneration.

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India is the world`s largest democratic country, with a population of 1.2 billion, & predicted to overtake China in the next 4 decades. It is also the globe`s 4th largest economy. India in the twenty-first century stands on the verge of being one of the world`s newest superpowers. In the sixty years since its independence, it has transformed into a modern nation with limitless resources
- yet it is also a nation of extremes. It is a people with 15 official languages, over 166 million mobile phone users, & an economy that spans from traditional village farming to the cutting-edge of new technology. The country is also currently developing its own nuclear deterrent. From the snowy mountains of the Himalayas to the tropical waters of Kerala, India is the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world. This guide is the perfect introduction for the reader who wants to know more than the guide books & gain a deeper understanding of India`s history & culture. ” The Britannica Guide to India” is introduced by Maria Misra. She is a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Oxford & a Fellow of Keble College specialising in the politics, culture, & economics. She has written two books on Indian history: ” Business, Race & Politics in British India” & ” Vishnu`s Crowded Temple: India since the Great Rebellion” (Allen Lane). She is currently writing the ” Penguin History of India”. She writes frequently for newspapers & magazines & has appeared on both on BBC 1`s Question Time & Late Night Review.
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India in the Culture Smart range of pocket-sized guide books; providing detailed information on local customs, culture, etiquette & manners & ensuring that visitors are prepared for a diverse range of social environments. The series covers an extensive number of countries worldwide & are designed both for those working & living abroad, as well as for visitors who do not want to offend, either intentionally or inadvertently. Their aim is to prevent readers from making embarrassing mistakes & feel confident in unfamiliar situations, while preparing them before arrival on what to expect & how to behave. Each guide is arranged thematically, with dedicated individual chapters on land & people, values & attitudes, customs & traditions, making friends, people at home, ‘time-out’, travelling & communicating. There is also a separate chapter for business travelers, with important information on subjects such as business culture, meetings & making appointments. A Further Reading section also offers a list of recommended other history, travel literature & language titles available on the country. ...