Murad does not question the importance of faith but outlines how all religions have been captured by the vested interests of professional priests claiming to be God's sole selling agents leading to distortions, superstitions and religiosity that the founding sages would have abhorred.

He analyses the five creators of religion: The founding prophets, the apostles, priests, the rulers and the rich as patrons and finally the common people whose offerings and sacrifices make the places of worship so rich.

Murad outlines how people the world over have been influenced by geography, sources of food, technological and social change, trade and by political and religious forces. He provides interesting insights into how these have impacted upon the people of India.

In this work Murad provides an easy to read and provocative series of questions and answers allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. Writing on religion can be volatile but fortunately he cannot be accused of prejudice when his answers equally affect Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and others.

Eighty provocative questions and answers covering many interesting topics

* Who were India’s original people? * Primitive religious practices * Harappans * Who were the Aryans? * Decline of the Vedic gods and evolution of Hindu deities. * Where did the Jat tribes come from? * Emergence of castes * India’s ancient languages and scripts * Meat and beef in ancient India * Evolution of Indian philosophies. * The importance of south India * The historic basis of the Ramayana and Mahabharat. * Influence of Buddhism and Jainism * How did the word Hindu evolve to become a religion? * The impact of Islam * Why have religions become so intolerant? * What enabled the British to succeed? * Has communalism ever been successful? …
and many more thought provoking subjects.

Murad Ali Baig may be best known today for his articles on automobiles and travel where he had been editor of The Auto Magazine. He has however also been a prolific writer on widely varied subjects including rural development, power, marketing, humour, history and religion. A product of the Doon School, he did his masters in History from St. Stephens College interrupted by a year at the Sorbonne in Paris. He held senior positions with J. Walter Thompson and Escorts Limited before a career in Public Relations and writing. He has written a book on Barroom Jokes, a book about Rolls Royce and another book The Shape of Cars to Come'.

SUMMARY OF SOME REVIEWS

You must have wondered why religions as they are practiced today are so completely different from what their founders had hoped to make them… Many theories have been propounded to explain the degradation of religion but one of the latest and most perceptive that I have come across is Murad Ali Baig’s Reflections in a Sacred Pond.
Khushwant Singh. Column in The Tribune, Deccan Herald and others

A liberal’s testament. Not many would dare to write a book nowadays on a topic like this one… However Murad Ali Baig does step out like a knight in the shining armour of a liberal knight… and then proceeds to demolish many cherished myths…he does not spare anyone – jousts against Brahminical prejudices, Wahabi distortions (of Islam) and Sikh deviations… We may not agree with all his views, but it is a good read and provokes you to engage in a dialogue.
Parsa Venketashwar Rao Jr. Swagat flight magazine.

Who were India’s original people? What were their early religious practices? How did Hinduism evolve to become a religion? What was the influence of Buddhism… Islam in India? The author’s efforts… succeeds in serving gulps of information… the thirst remains unquenched. However interesting bits of trivia and info keeps concentration afloat.
First City

The text could be interpreted as history by some, hearsay by others and heresy by the `faithful’. It does provide 80 topics for argument and introspection.
The Week

Spiritual lessons. What impresses us here is the authors daring – some would say reckless – treatment of the facts dealing with anthropological, geographical. political, economic, mythological and metaphysical issues.
Arun Gaur. The Tribune

This is a thought provoking book… The author has explored our past and questioned popular beliefs and opinions… that have led to the beliefs and superstitions that we harbour today.
Lakshmi Pillai. Jetwings flight magazine

Provocative, informative… a book of questions you had always wanted to ask about India… with eighty answers to argue about.
Gita Mehta

If people can learn how to find the glory of this spirit within themselves they will be freed from the bondage of sacrifices, penances and rituals. It will be the triumph of inner spirituality and the end of raucous religiosity.
Excerpt in The Times of India

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