THE Silk Route, albeit named so because of the most precious commodity that travelled that route, is an arduous journey, across mountain passes and dreadful deserts. Along with silk, the route witnessed the movement of scholars, religionists and exchange of cultures that left an indelible mark on the region that is now Central Asia. Sunita Dwivedi, who describes herself as an intrepid traveller and amateur photographer set off from her home in Kushinagar in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and discovered the pleasure and pain of the journey. The result is the book In Quest of Buddha: A Journey on The Silk Road.
The fact that the acclaimed scholar Lokesh Chandra has written an exhaustive foreword in the book adds a certain academic weight to this well produced multi-colour book. This is the author’s second book on Buddhism related journeys.
Sunita’s journey begins from Xian, the eastern terminus of Silk Road and traverses the province of Gansu, Xinjinag, Sichauan and Tibet. Her personal accounts of the journey supported by photographs, by no means amateur, takes the reader through the route. There are a number of maps to place the reader in the exact location in modern geographic boundaries. The extensive references and the index enhance the value of the book. A good book that offers more than the worth of a travelogue.
(Rupa & Co, 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002; www.rupapublications.com)
