The Tiger: Soul of India

by Valmik Thapar

Represented in various art forms from time immemorial, the tiger, India's national animal, resides in the very soul of the country's cultural beliefs, myths, and legends. The Tiger explores and reveals almost every facet of this amazing animal in terms of its first impressions on the
8000-year-old cave paintings of Madhya Pradesh to its presence on Mohenjodaro seals, some 4500 years ago. The volume covers tribal belief and worship, ancient tiger art, the Mughal period, and the tiger in miniature painting. The book is a testimony to the power, beauty, and magnificence of the
tiger, which captured man's imagination to the extent that it was worshipped across the country. How a host of emotions, including fear, almost compelled man to express his feelings on stone, wood, paper, and much more.

The relationship between man and tiger goes back thousands of years. In a way it is the cult of the tiger that has played a vital role in keeping this animal alive in the twenty-first century. It is vital to make sense of the awe and reverence this animal inspires in India, for that will help save
it from extinction.

168 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Valmik Thapar was an Indian naturalist, conservationist and writer. He was the author of 14 books and several articles, and was the producer of a range of programmes for television. He was one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic.