Reproduction of the original: The Gates of India by Thomas Holdich

For many centuries, Hindus have taken it for granted that the religious images they place in temples and home shrines for purposes of worship are alive. Hindu priests bring them to life through a complex ritual ”establishment” that invokes the god or goddess into material support. Priests and devotees then maintain the enlivened image as a divine person through ongoing liturgical activity: they must awaken it in the morning , bathe it, dress it, feed it, entertain it, praise it, and eventually put it to bed at night. In this linked series of case studies of Hindu religious objects, Richard Davis argues that in some sense these believers are correct: through ongoing interactions with humans, religious objects are brought to life. Davis draws largely on reader response literary theory and anthropological approaches to the study of objects in society in order to trace the biographies of Indian religious images over many centuries. He shows that Hindu priests and worshipers are not the only ones to enliven images. Bringing with them differing religious assumptions, political agendas, and economic motivations, others may animate the very same objects as icons of sovereignty, as polytheistic ”idols,” as ”devils,” as potentially lucrative commodities, as objects of sculptural art, or as symbols for a whole range of new meanings never foreseen by the imagesê makers of original worshipers.

A spiritual journey in nine countries of Fareast. India, Nepal, Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia Everything begins with questions; travels also The roadmap of the traveler who starts his spiritual journey is different, his questions are also Mysterious attractiveness of spiritual way of living from Hindu ashrams to Buddhist monasteries, from Muslim dargahs to Christian churches Legendary atmosphere of hippies ultimate destination, Kathmandu Tears falling down in the cemetery of WW1 in a remote village of Northern Myanmar Long river journeys in legendary Mekong River Majestic Angkor Wat Temple and Killing Fields of Cambodia Tragedy of longneck Karen women living in Northeastern Thailand Unique piece of mind moments that loneliness and silence turns into a magnificent meditation in lovely Koh Phangan Island and mystical ceremonies in the Island of Gods, Bali ... These are just some titles to give an idea about breath-taking manner of journey Detailed information and impressive comments about all special places from UNESCO World Heritage List of nine countries of Fareast, interesting details about lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, rituals, geographical information and descriptions like a pastoral symphony of national parks, mountains, volcanoes, towns, cities, human stories from the journey and so many details for those who are waiting to be encouraged to be on the road The guide of this breath-taking long journey is just dreams. Dreams draw the itinerary step by step. Dreams cross the realities, Physical journey combines with spiritual journey, and the mission is being completed. The journey attains its goal

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata Was Born In 1839, And In His Lifetime India Remained Firmly Under British Rule. Yet The Projects He Envisioned Laid The Foundation For The Nation S Development Once It Became Independent. More Extraordinary Still, These Institutions Continue To Set The Pace For Others In Their Respective Areas. For, Among His Many Achievements Are The Indian Institute Of Science In Bangalore, Which Has Groomed Some Of The Country S Best Scientists, The Tata Steel Plant In Jamshedpur, Which Marked The Country S Transition From Trading To Manufacturing, His Pioneering Hydro-Electric Project, And The Taj Mahal Hotel In Mumbai, One Of The Finest In The World. In These As In Other Projects He Undertook, Jamsetji Revealed The Unerring Instinct Of A Man Who Knew What It Would Take To Restore The Pride Of A Subjugated Nation And Help It Prepare For A Place Among The Leading Nations Of The World Once It Came Into Its Own. The Scale Of The Projects Required Abilities Of A High Order. In Some Cases It Was Sheer Perseverance That Paid Off As With Finding A Suitable Site For The Steel Project. In Others, Such As The Indian Institute Of Science, It Was His Exceptional Persuasive Skills And Patience That Finally Got Him The Approval Of A Reluctant Viceroy, Lord Curzon. In For The Love Of India, R.M. Lala Has Drawn Upon Fresh Material From The India Office Library In London And Other Archives, As Also Jamsetji S Letters, To Portray The Man And His Age. It Is An Absorbing Account That Makes Clear How Remarkable Jamsetji S Achievement Truly Was, And Why, Even Now, One Hundred Years After His Death, He Seems Like A Man Well Ahead Of The Times.

In a fragile alliance, the natives are stirring uneasily under their foreign rulers. Rebellion is brewing, and at the heart of the conflict lies the bloody and powerful cult of the god Aoun, whose followers will stop at nothing to rid their land of alien domination. So civil servant Renille vo Chaumelle, scion of a proud, conquering line mingled with native blood, is conscripted as a spy and ordered to penetrate the fortress-temple known as the Fastness of the Gods. There he is to discover the secrets of the priests of Aoun and - if the chance presents itself - assassinate the lead priest, named in legend as the god's own son. But in the holiest depths of the temple, Renille finds there is more to the cult than his superiors suspect - far more than they will ever believe. What he learns leads him to the beautiful princess Jathondi, daughter of the native ruler, who is fated to be the crux of a violent confrontation between the fanatic followers of a flesh-hungry god and their arrogant overlords. Together, Jathondi and Renille must brave a whirlwind of revolution and apocalyptic magic that could shatter a nation, and open the long-sealed portal between heaven and earth.