Book excerpt: The stories that await you are an exhilarating mix of devotion, history and myths! Dance of Shiva & Other Divine Tales explores the mysteries that lie behind some of our most ancient and revered temples—from Kanyakumari to Kanchipuram. Revealing the legends behind the origins of these temples and the wonders associated with them, these stories will delight anyone fascinated by Indian folklore. These timeless and enchanting stories narrate the triumph of good over evil; they portray god’s compassion towards man; they reveal the miracles worked by devotion. Immensely engaging and magical, the action in these narratives ranges over heaven and earth: Indra is punished for lusting after a sage’s wife; Narada uses his tricks to stop Shiva’s marriage to Parvati; Kannagi’s curse reduces Madurai to ashes; Vishnu saves Gajendran, the elephant, from the crocodile’s clutches … and much more. A collection that is in equal parts enlightening and enthralling.