The Sikhs are culturally one of the richest communities of India. The Sikh faith emerged and spread in north India to combat the stifling practices of the Hindu caste system and went on to become an all-encompassing way of life. Tracing the history of this race from the inception of its religion by Guru Nanak, this book explains the turbulent history of the Sikhs, their faith in one God, their ten Gurus and the casteless fraternity of the Khalsa Panth. It chronicles their customs, beliefs, rituals, modes of worship, weddings, baptisms, dances and martial traditions - the factors that make them an assertive and extrovert people with a zest for living. The Sikhs are now prominent in all spheres of modern life. 
The succinct, yet comprehensive and objective text by one of India's most celebrated authors is enhanced by rare, brilliant and varied photographs taken by one of the country's best photographers who has explored their private and public lives carefully and lovingly.

Raghu Rai is internationally recognised as India's most distinguished photographer. A member of Magnum, the photo agency for premier photographers, his work has appeared in Time, Life, GEO, Paris Match, National Geographic, The New York Times, Sunday Times, etc. He was Picture Editor with India Today from 1980-1990. Winner of many national and international awards, Rai has exhibited his work in London, Paris, New York, Hamburg, Prague and Tokyo.

This lucidly written account of one of the world's youngest religions, Sikhism, outlines the history, customs and practices of the Sikh people. It narrates the origin of this unique faith propogated by a man with vision and extraordinary intelligence- and traces its evolution over a span of more than two centuries. A superbly illustrated pictorial book punctuated by passages from the Sikh scriptures, and important ceremonies and rituals, which will help you to understand the way of life of a people whose highest spiritual authority rests in its sacred text Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 

Somewhere in the territorial tangle that is present-day Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, more than 2,000 years ago, a prophetic birth: the birth of the Buddha took place. The personal story of the Buddha, the import of Buddhist philosophy and Buddhism's spread beyond India are intermingled with splendid visuals of Buddhist art through the ages.

From the arid sands of Arabia emerged Islam, a religion so progressive that it revolutionized society as it was known at that time. Today, the heritage of this great religion can be seen in its exquisite architecture, superb calligraphy, sumptuous palaces and gardens and from the fact that one-fifth of the world's population is Muslim. Illustrated with over a hundred pictures and line drawings, this book is valuable to both enthusiasts and scholars.