Synopsis The classic stories in this choice selection are a few of the best-known ones from the living traditions of India. The powerful themes they contain - death and rebirth -, and the understanding that all creatures, good or evil, have a role to play in the grand design of nature - all form an intrinsic part of Hindu thought. Gods, demons and nagas, handsome men and women, magic incantations and spiritual power, the subterranean world and the cosmic one - these are some of the stands woven into the rich brocade of Hindu mythology. In this book, they are expressed in narratives that will appeal for the beauty of their retelling to young and old alike. The illustrations that accompany them have a poetic power of their own. Specially commissioned from the painter Badri Narayan, they add to the text a new dimension of symbolic meaning and rich iconography.