India and the Sacred

Contents I. When man meets the Gods 1. The rain Gods Hinduism. 2. Manohar a holy child Hinduism. 3. Interview with Professor V.N. Namboodiri. 4. The dance master Hinduism. 5. Yoga the little warrior Sikhism. 6. The school for Holy Children Hinduism. 7. The dance of Shiva Hinduism. 8. Interview with Padma Subrahmanyam. 9. The theatrical dance of Kerala Hinduism. 10. Nirmala's last life Jainism. 11. Interview with the Guru of Nirmala. II. When man celebrates the Gods 1. The sacred congregation of Sadhus Hinduism. 2. Interview with Shankar Das. 3. Interview with Nandini a young female Sadhu. 4. The pilgrimage of Fakirs Islam. 5. The marriage of the Ganga and the Ocean Hinduism. 6. The festival of colours Hinduism. 7. The messenger of Lord Teja Hinduism. 8. The holy children of Benaras Hinduism. 9. Teyyam the dance of the possessed Hinduism. 10. The Kalachakra of Amaravati Buddhism. 11. Interview with his holiness the Dalai Lama. 12. The Goddess with feet of Clay Hinduism. 13. Interview with Alok Sen the Sculptor. III. When man rejoins the divine 1. Benaras the soul of the Ganga Hinduism. 2. Interview with V.B. Mishra. Glossary and bibliography. India a vast sub continent created an original civilization which saw the birth and growth of the biggest religions. Hinduism Buddhism but equally so Jainism and Sikhism. This thousand year old land where faiths coexist cultures blend together and yet is thirsty for modernity will always remain the symbol of spirituality. From birth until death life is thus rhythmed by the meetings with the sacred. This permanent presence of the divine in the cycle of existence constitutes the plot of this work in which through witnesses and meetings one can follow the youth and its rites of initiation the celebrations and the festival of the adult age and finally the rites of passage towards death. The quality of the photographs taken by Frederic Soltan marvelously describes the poetic universe of this fascinating country. 288 pp.…