India yatra was probably the biggest national reporting project of its kind it spanned more than 23,000 kilometres and 117 constituencies - about one-third of all lok sabha constituencies fifty-six reporters and photographers were sent out on selected routes to explore different themes and convey the concerns that occupy them the exercise showed just how diverse india really is, and how startling its variety so that, as nandan nilekani points out in his foreword, anyone who claims to know india is either lying or foolish these reports present a picture of the country with remarkable clarity, without getting lost in the maze of its complexity as india negotiates this critical period of rising awareness and an intensifying struggle for access to the benefits of growth, india yatra assumes a significance that goes beyond the immediate reality is it possible to journey within a complex, layered country such as india, and not be lost in the confusion and detail of it? the essays in the hindustan times yatra series manage to do this superbly, and tease out fascinating snapshots of a country in flux - from the foreword by nandan nilekani