Traditional India

I found this book at a used bookstore recently. It is a compilation of writings by various authors, along with some editorial commentary, on various aspects of ancient Indian culture and society.

I liked it quite a bit, but it is a little hard to follow in places if you don't have at least some basic background in the topics involved. For example, I was lost for most of the write-up on Indian music, but near the end there was an excellent observation on the difficulty of surrending in a religious context when it comes to our identities and will. There are interesting write-ups on religion/philosophy in India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Other topics are covered as well.

This book was published in 1964, so it might be hard to find. If you do, I think it is worth a try if the subject interests you.