LAHUL & SPITI: THE LAND OF PARADOXES by Dr. O. C. Handa encompasses a wide range of subjects, viz., geography, history, art, architecture, religion, archaeology, economy, society, women, ethnography, culture, crafts, festivals, etc., each dealt very lucidly and critically. The book covers a wide span of history, from the pre-historic period to the modern times. The highlight of this book is that it is authored by a specialist, one who gained personal acquaintance with the area since long past. That is evidenced from the fact that even the difficult subjects like archaeology, iconography, architecture, etc. are lucidly dealt to interest every class of reader. The detailed and critical review of the role of Moravians in the academic and economic development of Lahul is the symbol of recognition of their prominent position in the history of Lahul.

For this difficult and voluminous task, the author has gleaned through a large collection of material, supplemented by his numerous personal visits to the area, and interactions with the people, which is well revealed from the accumulated mass of data.

Further, this work deals with the two regions of Lahul & Spiti, together as well as discretely. `Lahul` and `Spiti` are two subdivisions of one district-unit, but wide geographical expanse separates these. Thus, the two are not only the distant neighbours, but historically and culturally independent too. Even so, the historical compulsions united these two into one inseparable administrative unit, yet each of these retains its independent and individual identity. This work acknowledges all these factors and it has treated each subdivision accordingly.

The present work is the largest volume, with a rich mine of information, among the whole collection enumerated by the author, or all other works on Lahul and Spiti available so far. Looking at the range of subjects covered in this book, this copious work is well justified and a welcome one. The work brings to light many such facts on Lahul and Spiti that may be unknown even to the learned readers. Those may indicate some unknown cultural practices that existed in Spiti and take its history to quite far back.

This important and exhaustive contribution from Dr. O. C. Handa, on the study of Lahul and Spiti, is a precious gift for the people of Lahul and Spiti, which shall be frequently used by many in not only Lahul and Spiti, but also everywhere.

About the Author

Dr. O.C. Handa (born 2nd Oct. 1936) is a well-known connoisseur of art and culture. Having been in the field now for half a century, he is an outstanding scholar of history and archaeology of the Himalayan region. He has been undertaking expeditions, many solo ones, to the remotest corners of Himalayan interiors. That underscores his zeal to explore the extant evidences of history, art and culture of Himalayan region, and his dedication to acquire the firsthand and authentic knowledge of the people's creative enterprise. That quality is vividly reflected in his writings. He is a post-graduate in History from Mysore University, Ph. D. from Meerut University and D. Lit. form Agra University. Having come from the civil engineering background, he underwent training in Archaeology. He remained in-charge of Museums & archaeology in Himachal Pradesh for several years. Dr. Handa has authored twenty-nine books on art, history, archaeology and culture of the Himalayan region. Besides, he has written many research papers for various national and international journals, and contributed to the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Thus, he has more than five hundred papers to his credit. He has been participating in the international, national and regional seminars and lecturing at various forums in India and abroad. He has also been performing for the radio and TV. Dr. Handa remained member of different expert committees of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India. He remained a fellow of the Himachal Academy of Art, Language and Culture; Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at different periods. He also remained Senior Fellow of the ICHR and fellow of US-based Infinity Foundation. Presently, he is Consultant, Infinity Foundation & Editor, History of Indian Science & Technology Series (HIST).