A river sutra

of 12 March A River Sutra Reading through the book ‘ A River Sutra’, the stories display various themes. The people, all from different social status and religious beliefs, from the wealthy and the poor, learned and less educated, go to pilgrimage to the river to seek healing for both physical and spiritual suffering.
The main theme depicted in these stories is love. For instance, the known thief, Rahul Singh, reforms after kidnapping a woman who could sing beautifully and reforms. The woman musician came to the river to cure herself of love to a man who had married another woman because she was ugly. The man had been tutored by her father and had promised to marry her after he had learned his music. A young executive who worked at a tea company lives a wasteful life until he meets a young woman called Rima and falls in love with her. The woman puts a spell on him and he becomes insane. He goes to the river and makes a mud image of goddess and he regains his sanity back. In summary, the river offered love and life to all the people.
The other theme the author reveals in the book is misery. The people who visit the river experience suffering and seek happiness. The monk, despite being wealthy, is not satisfied in his life. He had lived a poor life and he sought something more from life. Mohan is taunted and sneered by his wife for being poor. He takes a young boy, Imran who sings beautifully but the wife sells the young boy to a master for five thousand rupees. The master slits the boy’s throat and Mohan commits suicide afterwards, his life has been full of suffering.
It is clear that the people have different beliefs regarding the river. The people who pay pilgrimage believe the river is one of the holiest in India. However, it is a paradox that the river means ‘ whore’. The archeologists who conduct a dig in the river wonder about the immortality of the river and makes fun that the people believe that it is sacred. Therefore religion is a complimenting theme in the book. People from various religious backgrounds such as Muslims, Hindus and Jain monks pay pilgrimage to the river.
. The stories reveal that man must undergo suffering in order to attain perfection of power from the river. This is portrayed when the archeological professor Shankar realizes he is the Naga Baba that rescued Umi from a brothel as an ascetic and immersed her in the river for cleansing.
In conclusion, the stories in the book link love forgiveness and happiness to each individual’s belief. Regardless of their different religious beliefs, the river brings them together. The Hindu, Muslim and Jain religions are independent yet interdependent religions. The sacredness of the river is because of the people who visit the river and what they hope would change in their lives. The river is unifying the people as all of them try to seek different things from the river. The book provides insight and the complexity of the Indian culture.
Work Cited
Mehta, Gita. A River Sutra. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. 1994. Print.