Review of Inner Trek
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Maria Gabriela A 3
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- Latest Review: Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao
Review of Inner Trek
[Following is a volunteer review of "Inner Trek" by Mohan Ranga Rao.]
“It is said that people do not freely choose to travel to Mount Kailash. That Kailash chooses you […]” I have to say, I also feel this way about the book itself. I really only started reading “Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas” because I was bored during my vacation time. It isn’t even the kind of book that I usually read. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a shot after reading the first pages, and I am so thankful for that, because I completely fell in love with it.
Mohan, the main character and author, after having his life threatened by a Bangalore land mob boss, promises to his wife, Mamatha, that they will do a holy pilgrimage to the Himalayas, called the Kailash Mansarova, to thank the gods for being able to survive such a test. By the title, you see Mohan is a complete skeptic, who undeniably changes over time during his trip, and to have the opportunity to think and grow, along with him, towards a deeper understanding of the world surrounding all of us as the narrative progresses was simply an amazing experience.
Mohan Ranga Rao’s writing is very straight to the point and direct, without many flourishes, but still, the author managed to create something uniquely beautiful and whimsical, that brings all of his descriptions to life. The narrative flows very easily and doesn’t tire the reader out, on the contrary, it’s completely page-turning. We are shown the dynamics of the characters within the very first pages of the work, this being done in a way that, only by description, we can sense how these people feel about the world around them. Giving us the feeling that we are there with them during everything that is happening, and that we know them personally for years! The pictures also help to give this feeling, and it was a lovely and constant reminder that those are real people, and everything written on there is the actual life experiences of someone.
Also, as someone who didn’t have much knowledge about India or Tibet, reading this book was an enlightening experience. I just love learning new things, and this was honestly, for me, a journey full of discovery, I practically had to read it with a phone or a computer by my side because in every few pages there was something new to unravel, and that I needed to look it up. This way, I learned a lot about, not only, Tibet’s history and culture, but also, about India’s religion, socio-economic aspects, and cuisine. Besides, I am very interested in the medical and biological field, so learning about trekking in high altitudes was also very interesting, I didn’t know much about the effects that it has on our bodies, nor the simple ways that we can avoid them, for example, like not sleeping before growing accustomed with the height and amount of oxygen available.
Having said this, I would one hundred percent indicate this to everyone, even if the book talks about everything from a very Hinduistic perspective, the message it conveys truly is for all beliefs and faiths, as it is so important and life-changing.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“It is said that people do not freely choose to travel to Mount Kailash. That Kailash chooses you […]” I have to say, I also feel this way about the book itself. I really only started reading “Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas” because I was bored during my vacation time. It isn’t even the kind of book that I usually read. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a shot after reading the first pages, and I am so thankful for that, because I completely fell in love with it.
Mohan, the main character and author, after having his life threatened by a Bangalore land mob boss, promises to his wife, Mamatha, that they will do a holy pilgrimage to the Himalayas, called the Kailash Mansarova, to thank the gods for being able to survive such a test. By the title, you see Mohan is a complete skeptic, who undeniably changes over time during his trip, and to have the opportunity to think and grow, along with him, towards a deeper understanding of the world surrounding all of us as the narrative progresses was simply an amazing experience.
Mohan Ranga Rao’s writing is very straight to the point and direct, without many flourishes, but still, the author managed to create something uniquely beautiful and whimsical, that brings all of his descriptions to life. The narrative flows very easily and doesn’t tire the reader out, on the contrary, it’s completely page-turning. We are shown the dynamics of the characters within the very first pages of the work, this being done in a way that, only by description, we can sense how these people feel about the world around them. Giving us the feeling that we are there with them during everything that is happening, and that we know them personally for years! The pictures also help to give this feeling, and it was a lovely and constant reminder that those are real people, and everything written on there is the actual life experiences of someone.
Also, as someone who didn’t have much knowledge about India or Tibet, reading this book was an enlightening experience. I just love learning new things, and this was honestly, for me, a journey full of discovery, I practically had to read it with a phone or a computer by my side because in every few pages there was something new to unravel, and that I needed to look it up. This way, I learned a lot about, not only, Tibet’s history and culture, but also, about India’s religion, socio-economic aspects, and cuisine. Besides, I am very interested in the medical and biological field, so learning about trekking in high altitudes was also very interesting, I didn’t know much about the effects that it has on our bodies, nor the simple ways that we can avoid them, for example, like not sleeping before growing accustomed with the height and amount of oxygen available.
Having said this, I would one hundred percent indicate this to everyone, even if the book talks about everything from a very Hinduistic perspective, the message it conveys truly is for all beliefs and faiths, as it is so important and life-changing.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao
