A luminous work, as befits this City of Light. I know of few books that capture the soul of a sacred city to the degree that this one does'-Huston Smith, Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion, Syracuse University One of the oldest living cities in the world, Banaras is also where Shiva, the Lord of All, is believed to have made his home since the dawn of creation. There are few places in India as traditionally Hindu and as symbolic of the whole of Hindu culture as this city where God is imagined and imaged in a thousand ways. Through her account of the history, geography and art of the city, its elaborate and thriving rituals, its myths and literature, Diana Eck brings out the significance Banaras holds for the millions of pilgrims and seekers who have been coming here for over 2500 years.

Diana L. Eck is professor of comparative religion and Indian studies at Harvard University and is master of Lowell House and director of the Pluralism Project. Her book Banaras: City of Light remains a classic in the field, and Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras won the prestigious Grawemeyer Book Award. In 1998, President Clinton awarded her the National Humanities Medal for the work of the Pluralism Project in the investigation of America's religious diversity. Her latest book India: A Sacred Geography was published in 2013.