Review of Inner Trek
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Ophiohonren Hiram
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Review of Inner Trek
[Following is a volunteer review of "Inner Trek" by Mohan Ranga Rao.]
Tied down by an oath sworn to the Almighty Lord Shiva, Mohan is seemingly cajoled to go on a pilgrimage to the holy mountain of Kailash. When Mohan is faced with a situation that seems to threaten his safety and the safety of his family, his wife seeks answers in prayers rather than the usual conventional methods. After doing so, she reveals that if her husband were to go on this pilgrimage, the effects would ward off all evil from their lives altogether.
Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao is an account of he and his wife's journey to the holy mountain of Kailash and all that they experienced. The processes they had to go through to find a trustworthy agency, not to mention the steps taken in order to get to the physical location of the pilgrimage, had many risks, but more than the fear of these risks, Mohan, his wife, and the many others who planned to take this trek were eager and curious to see how their lives would be transformed by this pilgrimage.
Reading this novel was certainly educational, to say the least. I really enjoyed how the novel was written in a way that made it seem as though I was on the journey with the author. This book showed me how important it is for people to always look outside themselves. If Mohan hadn't done so, he would not have allowed himself to go on the pilgrimage at all. Seeing all the processes of how he later came to appreciate the spiritual aspect of the journey despite the fact that he had initially made it a physical endeavor was inspiring to me. I understood from this book that this particular pilgrimage to Mount Kailash is very significant to many Hindus, Buddhists, and Tibetans. Personally, I also like to believe, on account of Mohan's experience, that logic does merge and flow together with religion and that any scientific mind can come to feel the influence of the supernatural through the physical if they open their minds to the possibility.
Keeping track of the many terms, like the names of the traditions, rituals, and even some dishes, was a mental exercise. I believe it was good for me, and anyone who is unfamiliar with content of such a religious nature but still decides to read this book should know that it may prove to be a bit of a mental workout. There is a glossary at the end of the book that has the required definitions, but many times I was hesitant to pause my story to check for meanings and just left the definitions of those terms to be defined by my mental image of the story. It was a very educational read, and I have nothing negative to say about this novel.
For the aforementioned reasons, I believe this novel easily deserves a 5 out of 5 star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and felt like I accompanied the author on his journey in my mind.
I would recommend this novel to nonfiction lovers, adventure-loving readers, and culturally curious readers. It is appropriate for any audience but may be a little complicated for people unfamiliar with religious terms, particularly those of the popular Asian religions.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Tied down by an oath sworn to the Almighty Lord Shiva, Mohan is seemingly cajoled to go on a pilgrimage to the holy mountain of Kailash. When Mohan is faced with a situation that seems to threaten his safety and the safety of his family, his wife seeks answers in prayers rather than the usual conventional methods. After doing so, she reveals that if her husband were to go on this pilgrimage, the effects would ward off all evil from their lives altogether.
Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao is an account of he and his wife's journey to the holy mountain of Kailash and all that they experienced. The processes they had to go through to find a trustworthy agency, not to mention the steps taken in order to get to the physical location of the pilgrimage, had many risks, but more than the fear of these risks, Mohan, his wife, and the many others who planned to take this trek were eager and curious to see how their lives would be transformed by this pilgrimage.
Reading this novel was certainly educational, to say the least. I really enjoyed how the novel was written in a way that made it seem as though I was on the journey with the author. This book showed me how important it is for people to always look outside themselves. If Mohan hadn't done so, he would not have allowed himself to go on the pilgrimage at all. Seeing all the processes of how he later came to appreciate the spiritual aspect of the journey despite the fact that he had initially made it a physical endeavor was inspiring to me. I understood from this book that this particular pilgrimage to Mount Kailash is very significant to many Hindus, Buddhists, and Tibetans. Personally, I also like to believe, on account of Mohan's experience, that logic does merge and flow together with religion and that any scientific mind can come to feel the influence of the supernatural through the physical if they open their minds to the possibility.
Keeping track of the many terms, like the names of the traditions, rituals, and even some dishes, was a mental exercise. I believe it was good for me, and anyone who is unfamiliar with content of such a religious nature but still decides to read this book should know that it may prove to be a bit of a mental workout. There is a glossary at the end of the book that has the required definitions, but many times I was hesitant to pause my story to check for meanings and just left the definitions of those terms to be defined by my mental image of the story. It was a very educational read, and I have nothing negative to say about this novel.
For the aforementioned reasons, I believe this novel easily deserves a 5 out of 5 star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and felt like I accompanied the author on his journey in my mind.
I would recommend this novel to nonfiction lovers, adventure-loving readers, and culturally curious readers. It is appropriate for any audience but may be a little complicated for people unfamiliar with religious terms, particularly those of the popular Asian religions.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
