My last visit to India in 2018 was not to the sights of Mughal India, unlike in the pic above taken in 1992, but to a much more ANCIENT India. I was researching for the subplot of Sculpting the Elephant – the rediscovery of Ashoka who was responsible for the religion we know as Buddhism( circa 250BC) but was forgotten for over 1000 years. The world’s first international university was founded by Ashoka at Nalanda and it is where my contemporary protagonist Harry King finds his enlightenment. Ashoka is a much needed example of good governance. Ancient Indian techniques of yoga and meditation are helpful in these isolated times.