The River Sutra – Mehta G

The River Sutra – Mehta G

This book is laid out and introduced like a novel, but it actually reads like a collection of almost unrelated episodes and characters seen through the eyes of a high ranking civil servant who decided to “withdraw from the world” after his wife passed away. The childless senior officer applies for a position of manager of a resthouse on the bank of the mystic, mysterious, romantic and holy Narmada River.

Gita Mehta paints a beautiful picture of the Narmada River. It winds through vast, lush jungles. On its banks, are tribal people and their curious practices, ascetics seeking enlightenment and pilgrims walking the entire length of the river. Every now and then, the body of an ascetic floats down the river. It would seem that nothing interesting would ever happen here.

I’ll give it 5 stars if it’s a collection of short stories that render the protaginist redundant. As a novel-like piece, the protaginist seems to be conveniently placed just to be an observer to bizarre happenings. It’s an excellent read, but not the kind of literature I expected.