How did you get hooked on to work on a book that looks closely at intricacies of belief and discovery amid India’s maze of little towns and villages, communities and religions?
I come from a mixed background and the question of identities, pluralism has always engaged me, especially in the context of Hindu and Muslim stereotypes. I wanted to make a point that there is so much more in this amazing country of ours. As I travelled I discovered more and more unusual things. How do you explain to people that there is a “Muslim Goddess” who is worshipped in Bengal, that there are communities who have both Hindu and Muslim identities.

An Indian burqa-clad Muslim woman and her son walk past idols of Hindu elephant God Lord Ganesh on sale at a roadside in The Dhoolpet District of Hyderabad. PICS/AFP