Sacred River: A Himalayan Journey

An Indian-American, Sovik, journeys to the glacier at the source of the Ganges River high in the Himalayas, searching for peace and renewal. While he travels, a pilgrimage temple near the glacier becomes the target of a gold heist. He does not know this and follows the waters of the Sacred River upstream and crosses paths with thieves, saints, and sinners.

The story has three narrative streams that flow independently at the beginning of the novel but converge at the temple for the conclusion. The first narrative stream describes the life struggles of an illiterate farmer, his devotion to spirituality, his desire for a pilgrimage, and his travels from his village to Gangotri temple. The second story line describes the genesis of a plot to do the unthinkable – steal gold hidden in the sacred Gangotri temple. Although the goal is noble, to uplift the poor people of India, the means are malevolent. A senior monk is tempted to participate by flattery and misdirection. Will it work?

Finally, in the third stream, Sovik, disillusioned with the American rat-race, travels to his home country accompanied by some American friends. They spend a few days in the area near the Gangotri temple. He observes odd happenings but initially remains neutral and silent. He goes on toward the source of the sacred river. One of his companions falls in love with their beautiful Indian guide while becoming intrigued by some strange things he observes. Is he observing the normal machinations of a diverse nation? Or is something suspicious going on? He decides to investigate and dares to go after unknown thieves.

Pilgrims, thieves, tourists, and events flow toward the temple independently but converge there. The day to day life of ordinary villagers, lofty goals, desire for fame, romance, and cultural nuance supply fuel to the story. On the surface, the action centers on the treasure heist; but underneath, this is the story of a quest nurtured by Indian mythological and folk tales, of unconditional spiritual devotion, and of intercultural romance.