In Sanskrit, 'itihasa' means myth: a tale that insiders believe. In Hindi, 'itihasa' means history: a tale that outsiders verify.

All beliefs are located in history. These beliefs gave rise to bangles, found in vast quantities in pre-Harappan sites, and still considered auspicious (mangala) by Hindus. A uniquely Indian adornment, bangles indicates 5000 years of Hindu continuity.

Over time, more stories, symbols and rituals were added, following the arrival of horses, the invention of money, the rise of temples, the arrival of mosques and the imposition of passports.

Deeply researched and painstakingly put together, this magnum opus by Bharat’s foremost mythologist, Devdutt Pattanaik, explores:

• how Hindu mythology changed with history;
• how Indian history changed with mythology;
• how arguments about Indian culture and Hindu civilization reveal the myth inhabited by historians, rationalists, nationalists and activists.