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."