India, May 10 -- Deepa Mandlik's Dynasties of Devotion, originally written in Marathi, examines historical contexts and myths associated with seven ancient temples across India and Cambodia. At the Kailasa Temple in Ellora, Maharashtra, she is struck by the visual representation of fertility and abundance: the goddess Lakshmi, sitting on a lotus, surrounded by four elephants showering her with rain. At the Chola-era Brihadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu, with its sculptures of a dancing Shiva and Parvati, she details how there were once 400 dancers and 250 musicians in residence here. From here she moves to sites such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, bringing to life a tapestry of history, art and spirituality. Vividly told, Dynasties of Devotion is an ode to the legacy of India's temple culture. It serves as both a glimpse into these spaces for the curious reader and a handy guide for the spellbound tourist....