William Dalrymple is one of my favourite authors. This is his latest book. It is a travel book. There are 9 chapters on his conversations and interactions with 9 persons touching on their respective religious traditions of India. The first chapter is on Mataji, a Jain. The third chapter is on Rani Bai, a devadasi -these are girls given to Hindu temples to serve the Gods but now plying their trade as prostitutes.
Dalrymple said that the idea for this book was born 16 years ago in 1993 when he was corkscrewing up a Himalayan trail. He does not identify when his interviews took place. It is therefore difficult to envisage when and how India’s traditional forms of religious life have been transformed in the vortex of the region’s rapid change. If you are looking for a history book on India’s religious traditions this is not for you. But if your interest is in the travel genre do read this book.