India, particularly to westerners, is still a land of fakirs lying on thorn beds, of yogis sitting cross-legged and practising austerity, of mendicants with matted locks clad in saffron, of awe-inspiring idols, of hundreds of gods and goddesses, and of elephants, tigers, snakes and snake-charmers, and everything exotic. Above all, she is known to be the home of all sorts of obscure religious cults, mysticism, and diverse rituals. In short, she is ‘the other’ of whatever western civilization stands for.