The paintings reproduced in this beautiful volume were created in the second half of the 18th century in the Dogra Pahari region of North India, mainly in what is now Himachal Pradesh. Apart from their martial qualities and rich folklore, the several schools of Pahari art have been a major contribution of the Dogra-Pahari people to the grand mosaic of Indian culture. Professor B.N. Goswamy has with great competence traced the historical and geographical back-ground in which these painting were produced. I would only add that they combine the beauty and freshness of the mountains with the rare delicacy and grace of the people living in the area.

Engaging translation and study of a popular North Indian epic.

Thirty years' research and first-hand knowledge of the area have enabled the author to trace the cultural contacts which have contributed to the rich mosaic of sculpture, temples, mosques, and painting that have gone towards the creation of one of the great civilizations of the world.