A River of Life: Travels through Modern IndiaAn overland journey around the Indian subcontinent

Here you can read extracts adapted from my travel book A River of Life, an account of my overland travels around India, beginning in Delhi in the north, journeying to Calcutta in the east, down to the southern tip of the subcontinent, and up again to the capital via Bombay, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. The articles are divided into type - history, transport, etc. - but chronologically within each section. This means that, if you read through each section in order, you can follow my journey around India several times over, each time from a different perspective. You can read about:

    » History

    » Transport

    » Language

    » People

    » Food

    » Festivals

    » Temples etc.


You can also find:

    » a glossary of words used in the articles

    » maps of the author's journey

    » a word cloud representation of the book



From the back cover

River of Life cover image
Book 1: Travels in the North

Buses, trains, sacred cows, gurus, saddhus, holi and more: like the subcontinent itself, this travelogue is chock-full of life and incident. The first leg of a complete tour of India, Book 1 covers the travels across the Gangetic Plain, from Delhi in the north to Calcutta in the east, threading a way through the cities of Agra, Gwalior, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Patna. The encounters with Indians of all walks of life are countered by historical observations and anecdotes, setting modern India side by side with its historical counterpart, creating a rich background for travels through this most beguiling and fascinating of countries.



River of Life cover image
Book 2: A Tour of the South

Ferries, juggernauts, tailors, commode sellers, sonorous nagaswarams: like the subcontinent itself, this travelogue is chock-full of life and incident. The second leg of a complete overland tour of India, Book 2 traces a great V on the map of the country, beginning in Calcutta, dipping down to the southernmost tip of the Subcontinent, then sweeping up again to Bombay. The objective: to visit every state that lies between those two great cities, including the real heartland of the South, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. The encounters with Indians of all walks of life are countered by historical observations and anecdotes, setting modern India side by side with its historical counterpart, creating a rich background for travels through this most beguiling and fascinating of countries.






Available for purchase now

Sheldon's account of his overland travels around India, A River of Life, is available for purchase now. Buy the e-book from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk, or the paperback from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk (also available in other countries, search Amazon for more information).


The first instalment, A River of Life, Book 1: Travels in the North, is available separately (e-book format only) via Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. The second instalment, A River of Life, Book 2: A Tour of the South, is available via Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.




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