India, it is often said, is not a country but a continent. From north to south and east to west, the languages are different, the customs are different, the country is different. Home to over one billion people and climbing, the subcontinent is a cultural cocktail of variety and ethnic groups. There are grand vestiges of the bygone era of the British Raj, along with teeming bazaars and choking traffic. The rising population is forcing many from the country to the big cities in search of work and hoping to improve their lives and of their children.