Along the Ganges

By Ilija Trojanow

The Bulgarian-born author Ilija Trojanow travelled hundreds of miles along the Ganges from its source in the Himalayas to the busy cities of the delta to offer a breathtaking and beautifully written account of his two-year journey along the holy river, on foot, by boat, by bus and train.

His vivid recollections weave between myth and reality and provide, as one commentator writes, a ‘refreshingly honest account of a country torn between ancient traditions and the lures of modern life’.

On the mythical level, the Ganga is a divine force, an eternally pure deity and Hindu priests regard it as a sin to call her a river at all; she is a goddess the source of the world and her waters are holy and healing. 

But life along the Ganges also reflects busy modern-day India, where purity has turned into waste.  As one man puts it: ‘like every believer, I must take my morning bath in Ganga.  As a scientist I know that I shouldn’t even dip my little toe in the river.’

During his travels he visited the great Hindu festivals, met local people and talked to those who warn of ecological disasters resulting from gigantic dams.

Ilija Trojanow is, according to John de Falbe, ‘resourceful and intrepid as a traveller, he is also knowledgeable and observant, and he writes very well.  He appears always to be open to whatever happens, and the spareness of his value judgments means that the diversity and confusions along his way are vivid… He is funny, and shocking, and always interesting…’

Along the Ganges is a wonderful portrait of a river and its people written with great humanity and understanding by a prize-winning author.

‘A lyrical homage to India’s holiest, moodiest, foulest river. . . Trojanow is the perfect mix of insider and outsider. A Hindi speaker, he can also stand back and see what makes India tick. . . . It is a treasure of a book, a must-have for anyone spending time on the Ganges and wanting to get to know her better.’

Susan Elderkin, Financial Times