Four, Like Its Predecessor Volumes One, Two And Three, Encompasses Selections From The Lifework Of Ten Mystic Poet-Saints Of India. The Mystic Poet-Sages Include'D In This R Volume Lived Between The 8Th And 20Th C Centuries And Came From Such Diverse Regions Of India.Jike Kashmir, Kerala, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab And Andhra Pradesh. They Are: Sundarar (Also Known As Sundara- Murthy), One Of The Great Nayanmars, Nammalular, The Doyen Of Alwars, Basavanna, The Founder Of Veerasaivism-A Movement Pledged To An Egalitarian Society Devoted To God, Ijad Ded Or Ijalla Yogeswari, The Kashmiri Saivite Yogin, Bihva Mangal Immortalised By His Poem Krishnakarnamritam, Chandidas, The Vaishn Vite Rebel Of Bengal Who Spear- Headed The Sahaja Movement Ofbhakti, Guru Nanak, The Founder Of Sikhism, A'Knath, The Maharcishtra Saint, Kshetrajna, The Telugu Composer Whose Sensual Images Sought To Seek Spiriulal Uplift And Suddhananda Bharati, Th~ Mystic Yogi, Who Poured Out His Heart- Felt Love For God In Mellifluous Poetry. The Sang In Different Languages: Kashmiri, Kannada, Sanskrit, Punja Bi, Telugu, Marathi, Bmgali And Tamil But All Of Them Sang Of The Glory Of God, With Whom Each Had An Intimate, Spiritual Communion. This Precious Spiritual Legacy Bequeathed By The Mystics Of India Will Be A Perennial Source Of Inspiration For All Scholars Of Indology And A Limitless Repertoire For All Artistes In The Fields Of Music, Dance, Drama And Ballet.

This collection includes the work of ten mystic poet-saints who lived between the 8th and 20th century and came from diverse regions of India.

The Sacred Songs Of India Encompasses Selections From The Lifework Of Ten Mystic Musician-Saints Of India, Spanning Twelve Centuries. These Poet Sages Came From Different Languages, But The Theme Central To Their Songs Is Love And Devotion Towards Their Favourite Deity: Krishna, Who Is Also Rama. The Songs Of Andal, The Daughter Of The South Indian Temple Priest Who Lived In The 7Th Century A. D. And Of Meera, The Rajasthani Princess Who Lived In The 16Th Century Are Both Suffused With Bridal Mysticism. The Songs Of Vidyapati And Jayadeva Are Similar In Their Erotic Imagery Of The Love Of Radha And Krishna. Tulsidas, Who Sang In Varanasi In The North And Tyagaraja, Who Sang In Tiruvaiyar In Deep South, In Different Languages And In Different Centuries Were Similar In Their Approach To Their Darling Deity, Rama. Surdas, Tukaram And Purandharadasa Felt Themselves To Be The Servants Of Their Master: Krishna. Kabir, While He Sang Of The Glory Of Rama, Also Philosophised About The Transience Of Material Life And The Permanence Of The Almighty. Andal Sang In Tamil, Tyagaraja In Telugu, Purandharadasa In Kannada, Tukaram In Marathi, Jayadeva In Sanskrit And The Others In Various Dialects Of Hindi, But The Thread Of God-Intoxicated Devotion Binds Them All. The Sacred Songs Of India Will Be An Inexhaustible Repertoire For Any Musician, Singer, Choreographer, Dancer Or Drama And Ballet Groups. It Will Also Be A Source Of Inspiration, Spiritual And Aesthetic, To All Indians, Wherever They May Be, In The Continents Of Euro-Asia, Africa Or The Continents Across The Atlantic.

The Sacred Songs Of India Volume Five, Like Its Four Predecessor Volumes, Encompasses Selections From The Lifework Of Then Mystic Poet-Saints Of India. The Mystic Poet-Sages Included In This Volume Lived Between 7Th And 19Th Century And Came From Such Diverse Regions Of India As Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra And Bengal.They Sang In Different Languages: Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit, Hindi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Marathi And Bengali. But All Of Them Sang Of The Glory Of God, With Whom Each Had An Intense Spiritual Communion. This Precious Spiritual Legacy Bequeathed By The Mystics Of India Will Be A Perennial Source Of Inspiration For All Scholars Of Indology And A Limitless Repertoire For The Artists In The Fields Of Music, Dance, Drama And Ballet.

A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day. LONGLISTED FOR THE BBC SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE

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