This book has been in the making for nearly a decade. In 1982, when I returned from Spain, life as a student burning a hole in my parent�s pocket came to an abrupt end and the stark reality of making ends meet became the order of the day. And all I had, besides best wishes of family and friends, was a working knowledge of Spanish. Fortunately, this asset was worth its weight in gold for it is my karma to unveil the secrets of the land of my birth to travellers from across the planet.Not that I was the last word on the wonderful melange that is India. Indeed, as I got to know my own country, I discovered there are a thousand India's and the quest to know each of them has kept me on the move ever since. And every time a visitor asks a simple question, I�m amazed that there are so many things about this wonderful land that not only baffle, amuse, horrify and attract foreigners.