This book gives a comprehensive account of various art forms as practiced in different corners of India almost as a way of life. Written in a lucid style, different aspects of the rich performance traditions of the country with its own typical myths, customs, traditions and folk life get unraveled before us in these pages.  Tracing the tradition of performing arts to the times when the performance of the two epics and the puranas were the only source of entertainment and outlet for creative energy, the book goes on to discuss the rise and fall of the Sanskrit classical theatre, and other art forms via ; the masks, puppets, martial arts, the wandering bards down to the multi-faceted progress of the modern theatre after the Independence.  Profusely illustrated with black and white as well as color visuals, it is a significant contribution to the writings on the performing arts and an important key to the socio-cultural understanding of the country.