ABSTRACT
To begin with, the mode of religious iconography has been changing so drastically that the people need to now look much beyond the printed posters, which this book tried to document. When talking of practiced religion in any society, one cannot ignore the wider economic, political and technological developments in and around the people, especially if the study is about religious merchandise and the people's ability to spend for faith. Before the 'electronic era', one of the purposes of decorating Muslim homes with images of Mecca and Medina was to keep the memory of a pilgrimage alive by those who returned from Mecca, and to inspire others who couldn't visit it. Until the mid-20th century, many Indian pilgrims used to visit local Sufi shrines such as the one in Ajmer, Delhi or other local ones before embarking on, or after returning from, the journey to Mecca.
