Book excerpt: This book tells the stories of ten mysterious people, styles and objects in Indian art from the prehistoric period to the present day-and in the process, it captures some of the diversity and range of the very large canvas we call Indian art. The stories told here include those of: The Bhimbetka paintings The evolution of the Buddha The Ajanta caves The Kailashanatha temple The Pithora paintings Women artists of the Mughal era Bani Thani Indian yellow Manaku of Guler The Sripuranthan Shiva Nataraja Mamta Nainy explores diverse artistic periods, explains different art forms, and gives insights into the lives of artists working in different times and spaces, one curious case at a time.