3 comments about Moon Handbooks: Pakistan (2nd Ed.).

1. My journey home to Pakistan started a little over five years ago when I married a Pakistani national who had immigrated to the United States in the early nineties. The decision to visit my family back home in Lahore City was one that took nearly five years to make. After securing my flight at the height of the summer travel season and I might add the hottest time of year in that part of the Indian subcontinent I desparately sought out the most comprehensive travel guide I could find. Isobel Shaw's book is informative and a godsend to a novice traveller to the Indian subcontinent such as my self. From her descriptions of famous landmarks to the locations of hotels and hospices she gives an accurate account of what to expect. The index of Urdu phrases came in handy on several occasions as I do not speak or read the language and was often dependent on my husband's translating capability. The maps and descriptions of the different regions allowed us to the luxury of travelling to areas of Pakistan I might never have seen otherwise. My only regret is that we were unable to see more of Kashmir than the border checkpoint. Due to my blonde hair and western features the border guards were relunctant to let us in. Perhaps next time I shall be allowed to travel in that region. I would not hesitate to recommend Ms. Shaw's guidebook to anyone travelling in Pakistan. It is an informative and enjoyable book on the people and the country of Pakistan.



2. We visited North Pakistan, looking at the archaeology, and this guidebook was excellent- it covered virtually everything.
   We ordered it from London, and it arrived very promptly - and cheaper than the price quoted by amazon.co.uk!



3. This book can provide plenty of help and guide for anyone traveling to Pakistan, foreigners in particular (she mentioned a few things in Lahore, my hometown, which even I did not know). I picked the book from my father's bookshelf to kill my time and ended up reading all of it. She explains most things about the local culture extremely well, without the usual negative tone that most other authors unconsciously get into (no offence for anyone please).
   
   For me if a book gives you the information that you need and makes you read more than what you initially planned, is a five star, so is this one!

1 comments about Stones of Silence: Journeys in the Himalaya.

1. The mountains of the Himalaya, from the lushly forested slopes of Nepal to the barren ranges of Central Asia, offer solitude, enlightenment, and incredible beauty, as well as the brutal reality of barren peaks and wind-torn slopes and glaciers. They are a lost world of nameless valleys, of people living in the Middle Ages, of travel by yak caravan. To field biologist George Schaller, the Himalaya is all this, and yet it is more, forming as it does the habitat of the world's greatest variety of whild sheep and goats....markhor, urial, bharal, and other spectacular animals...as well as the elusive snow leopard.
   This is a story of high adventure, introspection, observation, and discovery. It is primarily about the Himalaya and the people and the animals that live in it. It is a story told in the words of a poet, yet seen through the eyes of a scientists, as he struggles to save this mountain world from turning to stones of silence.

5 comments about Chasing the Mountain of Light: Across India on the Trail of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

1. Simply, beautifully written, takes you THERE...I've been to India, many of those places he's written about, and he recreates them on the page like a stereographic synaesthetic pop-up from the page. Made me laugh really hard, too, unexpectedly. Full of sights, sounds, history-in-living color, intrigue and mystery. An ideal read for armchair backpackers and yogis, and for anyone without an armchair, for that matter.



2. Rushby follows the legend(s) of the Koh-i-Noor diamond (the title's "Mountain of Light") as well as the history of Indian and Middle Eastern gem trading in this entertaining book. Like all good travel books, a unifying theme, once found, is seldom respected slavishly, so someone expecting a diligent history of the diamond itself and its travels would be better served by the Encyclopedia Brittanica. For others who wish to see an unusual side of the Indian subcontinent and its history, Rushby's an affable and able guide.



3. Kevin Rushby's trek across India in search of the legendary diamond, the "Koh-I-Noor" (mountain of light)is much more than a history of this fabled and "cursed" stone from the Golconda mine. Rushby's journey takes the reader through many small villages, many of them long abandoned after British rule.

   Rushby's days in Gujarat state are the most interesting. There, he meets an old gentleman who lives in a large but very lonely estate home. They speak of the old days when the gentleman's estate was full of people, servants and animals. Now, his days are spent on the rooftop terrace taking tea in the afternoon and reminiscing about his past. A sense of melancholy and lost time is felt throughout all the varied characters' lives Rushby comes to know so well.

   The story of the diamond trade and the wars fought over their inherent riches is only a small part of the book. The stories of the Indian people Rushby meets make this a great read for those of us who have not yet seen India. Time for me to book passage!




4. Read this book in 2 days...beautifully written. Rushby keeps the reader engaged and provides the most intresting descriptions of places, sounds and smells as he journey's across India. Inspires you to follow the route!

   For those studing Duleep Singh or the Panjab, this a must have for your collection.




5. _Chasing the Mountain of Light_ by Kevin Rushby is an interesting and sometimes humorous travelogue about India, ostensibly about the author's efforts to track the origins and history of the Koh-i-Noor or Mountain of Light, one of the most famous diamonds in the world, from its origins in the mines of Golconda in southern India to centuries later and its presumably final resting place in the Tower of London. Though the diamond's history and lore was indeed chronicled, the book was really the story of one traveler's adventures and encounters throughout India. Journeying from Madras on the Coromandel Coast in southern India all the way north to Amritsar in the Punjab, near the Pakistani border, Rushby undertook an epic quest to find the origins of this stone and to relate its bloody history. He had to contend with reluctant, unfriendly, tight-lipped officials, shady sellers of black market diamonds in dangerous back alleys, eccentric but knowledgeable experts on diamond lore and Indian history, and thieves, alerted to Rushby's inquires about diamonds, thinking him not a writer but a man who actually possessed large quantities of these gems on his person.
   
   The diamond known as Koh-i-Noor was believed by many devout Hindus to actually be mythic in origin, to be a stone that was once called the Syamantaka, a gem which the Hindu sun god Surya gave as reward to a worshipper. Later the god Krishna was accused by the people of stealing the gem and fought terrible battles to return the diamond back to humanity. The stone was owned by the Mughals for generations, beginning with the first Mughal emperor Babur in the 1520s, though many scholars dispute the notion that the Syamantaka and a magnificent stone known simply as "Babur's diamond" are the one and the same. The Persian invader Nadir Shah sacked Delhi in 1739, leaving the Mughals as vassals but along with many other treasures took the great diamond with him, giving it the name Koh-i-Noor (which means Mountain of Light). After Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747 the Koh-i-Noor was taken by Ahmad Khan Abdali to Afghanistan. The last member of the Durrani dynasty (which was founded by Ahmad Khan Abdali), a ruler by the name of Shah Shuja, went into exile, the gem then taken by Ranjit Singh in 1813 (a man who founded a Sikh kingdom in the Punjab in 1799). During one of the Anglo-Sikh wars the Koh-i-Noor was captured by the British, who took the diamond to Queen Victoria, who in turn had the 186 carat diamond re-cut to improve its brilliance, bringing the stone down to a 108 carats (though strangely enough improving the diamond's allure, as the number 108 is a very auspicious number in India).
   
   Many in India believe the stone is cursed and that the stone can only be given freely to another person by its owner or be won rightfully in battle; horrible things will result when the stone is bought, sold, or stolen. Further, they also believe that the stone will produce good fortune for good people but very bad things for the wicked.
   
   Like many other great Indian diamonds, the Koh-i-Noor was always searching for a new master, "leaving behind the failed and the dead." Claimed by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, the Sikhs in particular are keen to retrieve it as a symbol of Sikh nationalism (though they insist that like their famed Golden Temple, it would be the property of all Indians). Given its history and the immense prestige that would be gained by any in the subcontinent or the region who came into possession of the stone, Rushby wondered if the diamond was not best left in the Tower of London.
   
   As fascinating as the Koh-i-Noor was, its history fills a fairly modest part of the book. More interesting perhaps was the numerous encounters Rushby had. He toured Fort St. George in Madras, the largest building left in the world constructed by the East India Company; never a favored post by Englishman, many sent there never returned, often committing suicide or drinking themselves to death. Also in Madras the author visited an Armenian church and met a Mr. Gregory, the last remaining Armenian, sole representative of a once thriving Armenian trading community. Rushby met with astrogemologists, men who believed that they could control fate by the proper manipulation of gemstones. Religious encounters as one might imagine definitely occurred, as Rushby met with Zoroastrians who had fled from Aden, Yemen after the British left, observed a Sikh worship ceremony in the Golden Temple, and met a number of Jainists, going on a Jain pilgrimage and encountering members of both sects of the religion, both the Digambaras or "sky-clads," who believe that it is most holy to be without clothing, and the Svetambaras or "white-clads," who believe that nudity is not possible in an imperfect world. Rushby visited Alaung, the world's largest ship breaking yard, where tens of thousands of unskilled laborers work on an oil-soaked beach to destroy 50,000 tonne tankers with practically their bare hands. One of my favorite parts was his visit to Bilkha, once a tiny state that was only 7 miles wide and 10 miles long. Rushby met with the last descendents of its raja, a man with memories of a garage of Rolls-Royces, a stable of fine race horses and elephants, and lion-hunting expeditions, now a friendly and affable man sought by the locals for kindly advice, with only a single servant that he treats like a son, a man who took pleasure in personally fixing his own jeep and in participating in studies of the lions of the Gir Forest, no longer seeking them as trophies but working hard to conserve them for the future.
   
   A good book, at the back of the book there was a helpful chronology of the diamond and a bibliography. Though there were two maps some of the places he visited were not noted on them.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Pakistan.

1. Well, I have not read this book yet. I was thinking of buying it but I saw two crucial mistakes on this site alone. The map of Pakistan shown on the back cover is wrong, Kashmir is shown as part of India which is absolutely wrong. Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed area according to UN. one-third of Kashmir is under Pakistani control and even it is shown under Indian map. Second, the historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore is called the Lahore fort. To me, these two mistakes in only a few pages shown on this site is a big turn-off, so I'm skeptical of the research and knowledge of the authors.



2. ...Primarily, the Map is wrong. Azad Kashmir is such a beautiful part of Pakistan, and they cokmpletely miss it. They go on to show that Entire Kashmir is a part of india.
   The book is also missing insiders scoop. Perhaps just using this book aas a reference, and Using other guide would be better. The authors also give a fake image of Pakistans politics, and its intolerance, as a matter of fact its very tolerant...As long as you aren't calling for trouble, you're all right!



3. Without bringing my political affiliations and leanings into this review (...), I can safely vouch for this travel guide to Pakistan. Informative, thorough, honest and highly enjoyable, Lonely Planet has come through again! I utilized their travel books throughout my recent trip to India and Pakistan and was never led wrong (infact they have saved my behind a few times, especially in Pak), but overall enhanced my experience as they encouraged me to try new and different things while there and also gave me some pointers on how to interact with the locals. One negative point to mention: Lonely Planet Pakistan doesn't stress and/or inform about the heckling, whistling, and unwanted male attention foreign girls (even those who are of Indian origin) have to suffer through, enough.



4. The book is written very well. Gives all the information a traveller could possibly use. The only thing wrong with is the map of Pakistan and Kashmir. Kashmir is shown to be a part of India which is totally wrong. One part of Kashmir - Azad Kashmir is independant whereas the other half is occupied by India. The map of Kashmir should be corrected to earn the fifth star.



5. It gives you an insight into the history and the people of Pakistan, as well as everything a tourist should know, i.e. cheap places too stay, what to eat, how to travel, the local customs, etc. And, by the way, there's nothing wrong with the map, though perceptions may differ as to which part(s) of Kashmir are free & democratic and which are not.

No comments about Fodor's Exploring India, 3rd Edition (Exploring Guides).

5 comments about A Day in the Life of India (Day in the Life).

1. This book is a must for every international traveller's coffee table!! Indian households especially should be proud to display this book for it is surely a most priceless homage to all the beauty our country has to offer!



2. While many photography books about India focus on the landscape and monuments, this book focuses on the people living in this great land. From tending to the fields to attending grade school, the pictures are a glimpse into what India is really about.



3. I was thoroughly dissapointed by this book. The photos aren't too interesting or unique. The only good point of this book is that all the photos come with fairly descriptive captions. Most of the full page photos are so grainy, they could have been taken with a disposable camera. I don't blame the 2 dozen photographers who contributed to the book. Just seems the publisher decided to use a lower print quality in order to sell the book at a lower price. If you want a much better book with photos that will blow you away, check out Steve McCurry's South Southeast.



4. This book is a definate "Coffee Table" book. It will shock you by its large size, let alone its stunning photographs. I have been to India and am traveling again in one week. I just can't get enough. This book will practically take you theretoo. Enjoy!



5. For anyone who isn't intersted in India to see the Taj Mahal and leave, this is for you! Photographs that show how life really is in India, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Wonderful photographs, that will draw you in again and again. A coffee table book that will actually get read!

5 comments about Travels on my Elephant.

1. This book gripped me from the start. Mark Shand's matter-of-fact writing style and unshamedly romantic account of a trip across India on his elephant Tara, will make you curious about India and fall in love with this beautiful creature that became a grown man's best friend. A beautiful story for readers of all ages. I loved it and am about to read it again!



2. I have read all of Mark's books and this is my favourite. Full of humour, you can't help but fall in love with Tara and the magic of India. The sequel Queen Of The Elephants is also worth reading; this film of QotE is shown regulary on Discovery/Animal Planet.



3. A remarkable story about one of the few Europeans to enter the mystical, beautiful, dangerous, austere and disappearing world of the Indian Mahoot. Shand writes honestly and insightfully about his experiences on an elephant Trek through India which makes the book all the more refreshing. An easy afternoon read by the fire with your map of India on your lap.



4. The British seem to be particularly adept at coming up with whimsical ideas, making them happen, and then writing about them (cf. comedian Tony Hawk's Round Ireland With A Fridge, and Playing the Moldovans At Tennis or journalist Andrew Marshall's The Trouser People to mention just a few recent examples). Shand continues the tradition, concocting a scheme to buy an elephant and march around India on its back. This quick-reading book is an account of his adventure in India, where he purchases an emaciated 30-year old elephant ... from a pair of saddhus (mystic holy men) in the province of Orissa (a few hundred kilometers SW of Calcutta). His goal is to walk her from the coast to the great elephant market on the banks of the Ganges at Sonepur Mela, some 1000 kilometers north, in Bihar, where he would sell her.

   However, as he soon discovers, elephants have a lot of personality, and he quickly falls in love with his. The pleasure of the book is not its travelogue description of the sights and sounds along the way (although these do break things up), but the mischievous antics of the elephant and the discovery of its personality as a loving and lovable creature. Tara, the elephant, displays remarkable intelligence and wit over the course of the journey, although at times Shand does veer into anthropomorphizing her. While he doesn't go deep into the role of the elephant in Indian and Hindu culture, it's clear from his travels that they are widely revered as symbols of Ganesh, as bystanders often often small prayers and alms to Tara.

   Shand's own lessons in becoming a "mahoot", one who is versed in the ways of elephants and able to ride/guide one, is an equally fascinating and touching story. An older and younger mahoot are along to train him, as is a photographer friend and two rascally drivers with a support Jeep. It's a fun adventure, with a suspiciously fortuitous climax at the market, when Shand discovers he can't bear to sell his elephant for use as a moneymaking curiosity. It's a touching book in many ways, although some readers may be put off by the notion of a Westerner traipsing around a poor country on an elephant, especially given India's colonial past. Still whatever one may think of that, Shand's love for the animal is clearly genuine. He's written a followup book (Queen of the Elephants), that's apparently not as good.




5. British writers, writing about India are of two types. One are genuine humanists who look at today's India from an objective albeit sometimes sympathetic point of view. Mark Shand falls in the other category- ruminating nostalgically about the Raj, although, the present story is somewhat melodramatic and about an elephant.
   One good test to distinguish between the two is to ask the question, what would the person be if the 'Raj' was still alive. I am positive, Mark Shand would fall into the class of people who would live secluded in "McCluskeygunge" (a closed gate communty of Anglophiles) and sneer at the poor natives with an upturned nose!
   Unfortunately, fair skin on its own merit(?) still attracts salutes in India. The three hundrend years of oppressive british tyrrany has been hard to shake off. Shand lives by the power of his white skin and rules with his green currency and day dreams about the serenity and glory (for the english) of the Raj.
   I have yet to come across a genuine expression of guilt or shame in a britisher about their colonial sins. To take the case of India, the richest coutry on the planet, sucking it dry of all its resources and riches, and leaving it to fend for itself. And now Shand returns to satisfy his whim of travelling on an elephant and revel in touristic sightseeing of the poverty and the overwhelming deterioration! Utterly disgusting!!

1 comments about Fielding's Surfing Indonesia : Fielding's In-Depth Guide to Boarding on the World's Largest Archipelago.

1. The authors give a through explanation of what is like to surf in Indonesia. Great pictures and nice descriptions of all the breaks. Well prepared and gives good and reliable advice on the whole surfing experience. I found that more explanations were needed on the less known places of Indonesia, Still a great book to have.

4 comments about In Rajasthan (Lonely Planet Journeys).

1. You shouldn't leave home without it. Especially not if you are a Lonely Planet-Woman travelling on your own...



2. Royina Grewal's book is full of the history and grandeur of the Rajputs and the Moghul Emperors, told as the author travels through modern day Rajasthan. The book is so descriptive in parts you can almost feel the heat and dust as if you were there yourself. A wonderful read and highly recommended, especially if you are fascinated with India and her colourful history as much as I am.



3. Royina Grewal's work is rich with imagery and balanced, sensitive observations. She evokes the atmosphere of Rajasthan to a traveller without romanticizing, never straying too far from the lives of the locals. She is always careful not to claim to speak for the people she interviews or let her preconceptions take over their stories. She describes beautifully the scenery, history and customs of various parts of the state. I've learned a lot from this book, not only about Rajasthan, but how to journey through this colorful, changing place as an outsider.



4. Royina Grewal and her husband Ajit chose to leave Bombay and exchange their metropolitan existence for a rural one in the village of Patan in the Alwar district of north eastern Rajasthan. Royina, who also authored Sacred Virgin about a trip on the Narmada river, and her husband have decided to rebuild a run down farm and using experimental agricultural techniques they are attempting to grow crops on arid land. While her husband tends to the farm and the reconstruction of the house Royina, aware of Rajastahn's reputation for its renowned fortresses and palaces, decides to go on a bit of a tour of the countryside. Its an amusing tour. In Rajasthan, which is one of the least modernised areas of India, it is very rare to see a woman traveling alone so her presence brings out many interesting females who are enthused by her boldness in a land where women are rarely free to choose the course of their own lives. Royina even tours the countryside on the back of a motorcycle in one scene. She claims to feel the nomadic spirit which may be true but she also feels the shopping spirit as well as she makes purchases here and there(including a pair of leather boots that are made for princes) that she is careful to note most Indians cannot afford. This is perhaps one of the problems with this book, Royina only leaves home for an eight week stretch and then writes her book. Other travel writers spend years in India before writing about it. She was born in India, given an education, and one surmises has always had a fair amount of money and freedom(she is careful to note her marriage was not an arranged one). She is one of the privileged westernized few and for her roughing it is a matter of choice and really she is not roughing it for she more often than not stays in the renovated and converted former palaces of the Rajasthan princes with their elaborate gardens. More a vacation than a tour of India I would say. Still she relates a lot of valuable and interesting information along the way and she has some good stories to tell and listens to others tell theirs. She no doubt has a real interest in womens liberation and that theme runs through the book. Nothing gives her greater pleasure than to see a woman asserting her independence(very rare in Rajasthan) and nothing hurts her more than to see a woman or girl in some form of bondage to a husband or small minded community or a religion. Royina places her hopes in the education system and she is touched to see a young tribal girl wearing a school uniform beneath her sari. As Royina says change happens very slowly in India but you have to keep chiseling away. A good book (perhaps designed to encourage tourism to the area) though compared to other Indian travel books(Norman Lewis, William Dalrymple)pretty light fare.

5 comments about Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY.

1. I bought this book on a whim for a friend and it was one of the best decisions. Sooni's photos really capture a culture and moments in time and help narrate a wonderful experience of sorts. Having visited Bombay several times, I was very impressed by the manner in which she shows the Parsi culture through her simple yet poignant photos. I recommend this book highly!
   ps- I ended up not only gifting the book to my friend but also bought a copy for myself!!



2. This is a big book of street and interior photography in Bombay, India. (The author spells the city thus, rather than the official Mumbai.) The focus is on the religious minority the Parsis, who honor the ancient prophet Zoroaster or Zarathustra. Zoroaster was from somewhere in eastern Iran, as best as anyone can tell, and the Parsis in this book indeed look more Persian than they do like their Aryan/Dravidian compatriots, to this admittedly untrained eye. The author approvingly includes a neat quote by Friedrich Nietzsche in the introduction:
   
   "People have never asked me, as they should have done, what the name Zarathustra precisely means in my mouth, in the mouth of the first Immoralist; for what distinguishes that philosopher from all others in the past is the very fact that he was exactly the reverse of an immoralist. Zarathustra was the first to see in the struggle between good and evil the essential wheel in the working of things."
   
   The story of the author's family, temple, and home life is interesting enough, but the book is rewarding on sheerly photographic merits alone. The familiar urban India of crumbling concrete, colorful shutters, thronging streets, and hole in the wall shops is vividly reproduced here. It is oddly refreshing to not have India's poverty on display--we know it exists, but that's not the point of this book. The people herein range from the wealthy to the shopkeeper class. It is not, as similar books by non-Indians are prone to be, a cavalcade of exotica.
   
   Some of the uniformly excellent photos include these:
   
   A deaf, wizened grandfather shouting at a fountain pen repairman.
   
   An abandoned, one-room temple, still with its devotional portraits and wall clock, inhabited only by a crow on the ceiling fan.
   
   Middle-aged businessmen, most half in the bag already, crowding the bar at a celebration
   
   Young priests performing a rite over a ceremonial feast, on the floor in a daylight interior space.
   
   A wealthy art patron and wife, in their sumptuous living room.
   
   Several river scenes, with devotional activity such as reciting verses or praying in the water.
   
   A Parsi and a Nepalese seated together on the train--a contrast of ethnic types.
   
   A man with a distinctive face, such as Leonardo da Vinci collected in his sketchbooks, snapped with the telephoto lens while waiting for the bus.
   
   And plenty of home scenes, like one of mother, friend, and tots, enjoying a play date on the English-looking lawn. Except that it isn't grass, but some other wide-bladed carpet plant, instead.
   
   These scenes are all expertly and affectionately photographed, and presented with genuine warmth.



3. I have not read the book, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of doubt and give it a rating of "5".
   
   The purpose of my "review" is to put the term "Parsi" in its proper perspective. "Parsi" literally means "Persian", since "Pars" is the true name for Persia. If we are to follow this logic, then to all intents and purposes the Zoroastrians in Iran today are the true "Parsis". Therefore, only the second part of the title of this book "The Zoroastrians of India" is correct. The dichotomy can therefore be explained very simply - If you are Indian then you are not "Parsi" and vice versa. One cannot be Persian and Indian at the same time.
   
   The Zoroastrians of India have adopted Indian customs and ceremonies, do not speak a word of Persian and therefore do not understand the content of one-third of the Avesta, which is written in Persian. This is tantamount to completely losing their original identity as a people. Blending in with the country of adoption to the point of adopting the language and customs of that country and willingly losing all trace of their origins, and practicing a brand new identity is fine, if they would prefer to do that. However, by labeling themselves as Parsis, they are committing a travesty of justice to the true Parsis in Iran who have practiced the faith against insurmountable odds.
   
   And if the Zoroastrians of India are bent upon propagating and promoting their new identity, then they should not create their own sectarian institutions in India but should be willing to blend in with the rest of the Indian community. They cannot have it both ways. And as for not allowing intermarriages or conversions, well, study the Kalme-e-Din in the Avesta. It tells you that the Zoroastrian faith was "sent for the people" (baraye khalk ferestade). That perhaps is the single-most damning evidence against the proponents of non-conversion. But one needs to know the Persian language to understand that.
   
   And one last word on this: The Kisse-E-Sanjaan never happened. There is no documented evidence of such an event in the annals of "Parsi" history. And even if it did occur, then it's an affront to scribe a monument in its memory, in Gujerati. That's how far the "Parsis" of India have strayed from their true beginnings. Naming their children with meaningless Persian-"sounding" names will not make them Persians or should I say "Parsis". And as for preventing intermarriages to save the purity of "race", they should take a look in their mirrors and be honest with themselves.



4. The book is beautifully done, but to use it as a coffee table book I cannot display with broken corner. Advised them second time, but no reply. As I live in Mexico it is difficult getting mail in and out and also expensive. Very disappointed.



5. Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY is the best dipiction of the Parsis...