About the book: 2003 / Created on the basis of field research and text analysis, the book is dedicated to India at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century. Historical interpretations of key symbols of Hindu mythology, ritual aspects of Hinduism and the symbiosis of religion and politics are combined with ethnological excursions and descriptions of exotic cult practices, rituals and characters. These themes are also illustrated by stories featuring historical figures and famous political and cultural figures in dramatic situations..