This intimate book is for lovers to read together, or the perfect gift for someone you love. Leela is love play among the gods and mortals captured magically on these pages by the imaginative matching of verse and art. In an increasingly global world where the demonic appetite for consumerism is gobbling up sensations and emotions, we literally need moments to step out of the frame and loose ourselves in the pleasure of the senses. This bedside companion is for those who wish to inhale its mood, catch their breath, and savour the beauty within their souls."Leela is a collection of Indian poetry from ancient to contemporary times, complemented by some extremely refreshing and original photography, graphics and paintings. The book emerges from the celebration of sensuality and desire in the Indian cultural landscape, where eros is a part of everyday life. Dipping into the classical texts, the Bhakti poets, Sufi mystics, and moving on to the bold canvas of contemporary verse, it presents a mood-filled bouquet meant to be enjoyed in a lover"s company or alone. The visuals contributed by some extremely talented Indian contemporary artists and photographers, as well as two Americans who work with Indian themes, are highly erotic and aesthetic. They brilliantly illustrate the efflorescence of Indian visual arts within the global context. The works are starkly modern yet deeply rooted in the Indian erotic tradition and are a delight to the senses.