Synopsis This anthology, consisting of fourteen essays written by students of Professor Brij Raj Chauhan, has been prepared to honour him for his outstanding contribution in enriching Indian sociology for all these years. The contributing authors not only represent a wide variety of disciplines like sociology, anthropology, political science and international relations but include civil servants as well. Though having disjointed themes, the papers try to reflect upon some of the major trends in Indian sociology. Some essays are essentially village studies while others go beyond the village - in terms of research sites and conceptual frameworks. Authors have followed different approaches in studying the society, but all have attempted to improve upon our understanding of the social sphere.