5 out of 5 stars
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Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao is one book I enjoyed reading and, indeed, the most informative book I've read this year. It is a nonfiction work written by the author detailing his pilgrimage to Kailash Manasa Sarova and the circumstances prompting this journey. The book begins with Jalli Jagdish, a land mafia who encroaches on Mohan's property and means to force him to sell off his land at a price lower than what it's worth. A very scared Mohan relays the threat to his wife, Mamatha, who takes him to their sanctum to pray for a way out. While in the sanctum, his wife, Mamatha, makes him vow to visit Kailash Manasa Sarova if his problems are solved amicably. Fortunately, a contact he obtains from his new lawyer takes charge of the property and gives him a fair compromise.
Mamatha constantly reminds him of his vow to Lord Shiva, which Mohan does not want to adhere to. Instead, he builds a temple and partakes in many rituals, but none of this can stand in for the vow he was to take. Two years later, after giving it some thought and hearing his wife's constant reminders, he decides to redeem his vow. The pilgrimage involves a circumambulation of Mount Kailash at an altitude of 18000 feet and a dip in the lake at Manasa Sarova. This book would detail all their adventures, experiences, and stories concerning the pilgrimage. I'm so happy I encountered this book; it was an excellent piece of writing.
The pilgrimage to Kailash Manasa Sarovar is something people should visit in their lifetime. Although I do not belong to any of the four religions that consider the mountain pious, reading this book made me feel the importance of the writing and the experiences the pilgrims had. One of my favorite parts to read in this book was the narration of the time at the holy lake. I could feel beauty and peace just from the descriptions. The author is a genuinely skilled narrator. Before coming across this book, I hadn't heard of this pilgrimage before, but now I can fully boast of my knowledge of it to an extent.
The book was a simple one to follow; the only things that might pose a little difficulty might be the foreign terms that appear in the story, but for me, they added to the story's mystique and taught me a few things concerning the author's background. However, the glossary at the end of the story would also go a long way in aiding the audience. Something worthy of commendation in this book was the pictures it contained; it would go a long way in helping the audience know more about the pilgrimage and other exciting things being described. The story flowed at a fantastic pace, giving readers a modest amount of time to adjust to the various events happening at different times.
I garnered no dislikes against this story. It was somewhat educational, informative, and entertaining. It was not too severe and pious, as books on pilgrimage often are, but it contained infusions of humor that would keep the audience glued to the pages of this beautiful work. I discovered a few errors in the course of reading; however, I believe this book was professionally edited. Kudos to the author for his fantastic creativity; I look forward to reading more from him.
Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao receives a complete rating of 5 out of 5 from me for being a perfect combination of adventure, piety, humor, and information. I recommend this book to audiences interested in adventure, nonfiction, and books on pilgrimage.
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Inner Trek
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