Amazing Rituals of India (Paperback)

This is a one-of-a-kind compilation of amazing rituals of India – both from mainstream rural and urban lives and lesser-known traditions. Just as it includes intriguing wedding rituals from the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh, it also describes absorbing customs from a popular Bengali wedding. The focus, however, remains exotic and obscure cultures that are integral to India. From the fascinating Lai Haraoba rituals of the Meitei tribe to the breathtaking gajan festival of rural Bengal, where men pierce themselves with iron rods and hooks, this compendium has it all.

While chronicling the rituals of various tribes of India, this engaging reference briefly explains who they are and which part of the country they come from – often with glimpses of their history. Here religious, social and cultural rituals as well as those that serve a practical purpose have all been organized in a fact-book format, with the ultimate aim of capturing the diversity of India in a new light.

This essential fast-paced primer for students of anthropology, sociology and human geography and a ready-reckoner for writers and journalists will not fail to appeal to a larger general audience who believes some truths indeed can be stranger than fiction.