Edited and translated from the original Kannada into Sanskrit and English by Mangesh Venkatesh Nadkarni

A noteworthy section in the Introduction is: ‘Vacana Dharma and Hinduism’. Nadkarni shows here how the basic beliefs and practices of Vīraśaiva-Lingāyats are to be traced to Hinduism. For example, the idea of One God is very much there in the Rigveda (Ekam Sad viprāhbahudhāvadanti, etc.). The practice of chanting the holy mantra of ‘Om Namah Śivāya’ is from Hinduism.


Reviewed by: Sangamesh Savadattimath
By Deborah Sutton

From a diminutive rock smeared with vermillion, to logic-defying edifices cut out of sheer rock, to large complexes spread over hundreds of acres with the most spectacular architecture humans could ever envision, the Hindu temple can indeed be a bewildering space for the uninitiated and un-socialized.


Reviewed by: Lokesh Ohri
By Sanjay Subrahmanyan with Krupa Ge

The professional Carnatic musician’s path is highly templatized; countless have been through the grind. Start young, attend junior competitions, perform at AIR, and ensure that you make your way to the Music Academy performance slot. Subrahmanyan too traversed this well-trodden path, and spectacularly well at that, to join only a select few to receive the prestigious Sangeeta Kalanidhi (Oscar of Carnatic classical music) in 2015 when he was just 47 years!


Reviewed by: Bharat Kidambi
By Venki Ramakrishnan

Why are we born? Why do we die? Most people look for explanations in religion, but the author looks for answers in the world of science. What, then, is the difference? Simply that scientific theories can be disproven, while religious ones cannot. This is not to say that religion is not important. It indeed is and offers succor during trying periods of our lives, but in explaining the natural world, that is where superstition comes in.


Reviewed by: Mohan Rao
By Ravi Nandan Singh

The succeeding chapter ‘The City Multiple: Place-Names Play Dead’ describes the city of Banaras delineating the varied histories, cultures, traditions and legends of the place; analyses the idea of city and the meaning it holds for various people. Kashi, Banaras and Varanasi, the different names of the city, the author argues, underline the differences within the society.


Reviewed by: Amol Saghar
By Nita Berry. Cover design and illustrations by Mohit Suneja

‘The Third City: Tughlakabad is Built’ (1320-25 CE) tells children about Ghiyasuddin Tughlak’s ‘dream city’, built 8 km away from the Qutab Minar but abandoned due to lack of water. Perhaps it was also due to the curse of the Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. When insulted by the Sultan, the Saint had cursed it to be reduced to the habitat of nomadic shepherds. However, children are also told about modern developments around it, such as the Tughlakabad Insitutional Area, the Inland Container Depot and the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.


Reviewed by: Dipavali Sen