Alluring Kashmir (The Inner Spirit)

•Vibrant, intense, engrossing color and unique monochromatic images instantly capture the reader's attention in this travel narrative •These unique photographs go beyond documenting the apparent; they explore lesser-known spaces, engaging the viewer in an unusual manner •The target audience of this travel book includes both national and international readers, travel enthusiasts, trekkers and climbers •Provides substantial reading and visual material, as a reference book for cultural and subaltern studies and related academic research Kashmir is a distinct region that has yet to be fully explored. The authors 'tell' human stories visually, against an awe inspiring natural backdrop. Their compelling and magical pictorial journey ushers the reader through the Valley, celebrating the ethereal beauty and the cultural diversity of this exotic land, as well as marking the shades of change and transition. It is a book painted with the lesser known colors, embracing the layers and textures which lie beyond the known dimensions of Kashmir. Breathtaking photographs in varying shades and angles, supported by well-researched relevant text, are the tools to communicate to the reader the sense of a classical Kashmir. This is a land with an inherent rich culture, and Alluring Kashmir sets its exotic landscapes against unfamiliar facts and fables, and the intimate aspects of daily life. The reader becomes part of a thriving society, which is waiting to match steps with the rest of the world despite huge challenges. Contents: Introduction, Prologue, Kashmir Travels: Why and when, Locations and Landscapes, Interweaving History and Architecture, The Spiritual Stream, Flowering of Kashmiri Art, Craft and Culture, Acknowledgements, Index