Benares: A World Within a World

This major contribution to the study of urban culture, first published in 1999 as the magnificent photographic book Benares Seen From Within, is now issued in a more accessible format and a reduced price, its text substantially revised. Among other themes, Lannoy writes about the metaphysical substructure of the city, the ancient cults of the pillar and the sun-wheel, the Buddha, yoga, commerce and weaving, pilgrimage and extends its survey up to the present, with Hindu-Muslim conflicts, the tension between religion and secularism, and a lively account of the great woman-saint Anandamayi Ma. Illustrated with many photographs by the author.