For centuries India's beliefs and myths have fascinated Westerners, including spiritual pilgrims who find themselves drawn to the special atmosphere of its holy places. As well as covering the religions and their sacred texts, ceremonies, art and architecture, Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad gives us a beautiful and concise exposition of major themes such as the impact of Islam. From the civilizations that grew up along the Indus river more than 4,000 years ago to the dawn of European imperialism, "India" traces the rise and fall of faiths, empires and dynasties - giving us a multi-faceted portrait of a country that, because of its far-reaching cultural influence, has rightly been called "the mother of us all".