There are books that inform, and then there are books that transport. Deepa Mandlik’s Dynasties of Devotion, translated into English by Aboli Mandlik, belongs firmly in the latter category. Turning its pages feels less like reading and more like stepping barefoot into temple courtyards — stones cool under your feet, chants echoing in the air, stories of gods and kings coming alive around you.
For centuries, temples have stood as more than just religious spaces. They were once vibrant centres of community life — where music, dance, learning, and faith flowed together seamlessly. Mandlik captures this spirit with an eye for detail and a heart for storytelling, offering readers a journey through seven extraordinary temples across India and Cambodia.
The book begins with the audacious Kailasa Temple at Ellora, carved entirely from a single rock face. Here, Mandlik lingers on the imagery of Lakshmi seated gracefully on her lotus, elephants pouring water over her — an eternal vision of fertility and abundance. She then takes us to Tamil Nadu’s Brihadeeswara Temple, once home to 400 dancers and 250 musicians. Suddenly, the stone sculptures feel like they almost seem to hum with rhythm and movement.