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Seven Sacred Rivers
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- GenresTravelNonfictionIndia
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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175 people want to read
About the author
Bill Aitken
22 books36 followersWilliam McKay Aitken was a British-born Indian travel writer and mountain lover from Scotland. He was the author of a number of books about India, its mountains, rivers and its steam trains.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 24, 2011
Completely engrossed. Always enjoyed reading Aitken's sensitive, well-researched notes and observations on the Indian terrain, history and many more things. Extremely witty writing from an insider! I read this off and on from anywhere...every page is the starting point of an indefinite journey.
September 19, 2013
What a celebration of India!
The spirituality that the world weaves around the name 'India' has much more to do with the psyche of the ordinary individual(anywhere in the world) than in a landmass defined by the rituals of orthodox Hinduism. India is the inner state of every man.
One of the essential teachings is the importance of seeking more than travelling. Travel without the desire to seek is mere wandering. The journeys along the divided rivers amount to the voyage of discovering the source of one's own feelings. A deeply engrossing, soul satisfying travelogue!
The spirituality that the world weaves around the name 'India' has much more to do with the psyche of the ordinary individual(anywhere in the world) than in a landmass defined by the rituals of orthodox Hinduism. India is the inner state of every man.
One of the essential teachings is the importance of seeking more than travelling. Travel without the desire to seek is mere wandering. The journeys along the divided rivers amount to the voyage of discovering the source of one's own feelings. A deeply engrossing, soul satisfying travelogue!
December 22, 2021
Seven Sacred Rivers deserves 5 stars. Bill Aitken loves India's geography and its rivers. He has lovingly described them as celestial nymphs and livings goddesses, having a personality of their own. He has lamented the lack interest of ordinary Indians in their geography (which till date is true) and building of roads, bridges and dams (To this he refers as 'Nehruvian Development') resulting in destruction of forests, loss of habitat of flora, fauna and tribal people. However in my opinion, the construction of infrastructure is absolutely necessary and inevitable.
The low point in the book is that he views the difference between worship of rivers in the North and South India and their iconography (as goddesses) through the Aryan-Dravidian theory (he has explicitly mentioned it) which long has been debunked by anthropologists. Maybe the theory was in vogue when the book was being written. This also creates a confusion- its not clear as to which period was the book being written, as it also doubles up as a travelogue. For example, he has written about his travel in Laddakh region and has described the poor condition of roads, arrival of tourists hoards in convoy of busses. Tourists nowadays take flights to the region and the roads have been improved (and bikers riding upto Laddakh in their Bullet motorcycles is common). Hotels, restaurants and markets have been built. Then, there's a genuine complaint of seeking of alms by temple priests.
It also happens that Bill Aitken strongly despises Brahminical Hinduism and laments the disappearance of Buddhism from India, along with the destruction of forest habitat of tribals, flora and fauna.
This book is not an organized, systematic, chapter-wise study of India's major rivers from their source to the delta, but is an account of author's travels along their course, studying their meanders, cascades and their ebbs and flows along with the life on their banks. As a result, objectivity is missing- the reader gets confused which river is he writing about, and is he writing about the mainstream or their tributaries ? In the beginning of a chapter that appears to be about a peninsular river, he deviates to the uphill, rocky path in the high Himalayan gorges that surround the Mandakini. He would describe the shift of the sacredness of the river from the Indus to the Ganges and in the next Paragraph he would describe the Rann of Kachh and Dwarika . The following paragraph would be about students' agitation for Gorkhaland in Darjeeling and then he describes his travels in Nepal Terai.
Bill Aitken has travelled the length and breadth of India, often risking his life, to study the rivers and their tributaries to tell us their stories. His description of India, its rivers, mountains, gorges and watersheds is vivid, easy to understand. Recommended for every nature lover and geography enthusiast.
The low point in the book is that he views the difference between worship of rivers in the North and South India and their iconography (as goddesses) through the Aryan-Dravidian theory (he has explicitly mentioned it) which long has been debunked by anthropologists. Maybe the theory was in vogue when the book was being written. This also creates a confusion- its not clear as to which period was the book being written, as it also doubles up as a travelogue. For example, he has written about his travel in Laddakh region and has described the poor condition of roads, arrival of tourists hoards in convoy of busses. Tourists nowadays take flights to the region and the roads have been improved (and bikers riding upto Laddakh in their Bullet motorcycles is common). Hotels, restaurants and markets have been built. Then, there's a genuine complaint of seeking of alms by temple priests.
It also happens that Bill Aitken strongly despises Brahminical Hinduism and laments the disappearance of Buddhism from India, along with the destruction of forest habitat of tribals, flora and fauna.
This book is not an organized, systematic, chapter-wise study of India's major rivers from their source to the delta, but is an account of author's travels along their course, studying their meanders, cascades and their ebbs and flows along with the life on their banks. As a result, objectivity is missing- the reader gets confused which river is he writing about, and is he writing about the mainstream or their tributaries ? In the beginning of a chapter that appears to be about a peninsular river, he deviates to the uphill, rocky path in the high Himalayan gorges that surround the Mandakini. He would describe the shift of the sacredness of the river from the Indus to the Ganges and in the next Paragraph he would describe the Rann of Kachh and Dwarika . The following paragraph would be about students' agitation for Gorkhaland in Darjeeling and then he describes his travels in Nepal Terai.
Bill Aitken has travelled the length and breadth of India, often risking his life, to study the rivers and their tributaries to tell us their stories. His description of India, its rivers, mountains, gorges and watersheds is vivid, easy to understand. Recommended for every nature lover and geography enthusiast.
June 30, 2021
There's something soothing about following a river ; Aitken follows 7 in this book ! If you enjoy being immersed in a book, this one is for you - its a comforting meandering mix of travelogue, cultural commentary, reflection. Written by a Scotsman with a love for spontaneity & an eye for detail.
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May 25, 2025Bill Atkins book on Seven Sacred Rivers . This book is by a Scottish author who has traveled in India and his travelogue of the rivers in India. His details about Ganga , Narmada , and other rivers are interesting. He covers life , culture , and people’s life around the rivers. His travel around is in Jawa bike , with a camera and typewriter as tools for his details.
It’s interesting to note at some places, the author is asked to write about their place , especially shikaris in Kashmir to get advertising. This is to get a place to stay in Srinagar . He feels north deals rivers in a different way , than south . It is sorry to note that there is no continuity in the dialogue about places. One para could be about Ganga , next about another river elsewhere . But on the whole he covers minute details also. When possible. Good book to read , but keep a map of India to refer the rivers and read it better. There is better roads and ways to reach places in India now , rather than the time author has shown in the picture.
It’s interesting to note at some places, the author is asked to write about their place , especially shikaris in Kashmir to get advertising. This is to get a place to stay in Srinagar . He feels north deals rivers in a different way , than south . It is sorry to note that there is no continuity in the dialogue about places. One para could be about Ganga , next about another river elsewhere . But on the whole he covers minute details also. When possible. Good book to read , but keep a map of India to refer the rivers and read it better. There is better roads and ways to reach places in India now , rather than the time author has shown in the picture.
October 18, 2019
An excellent book, got me super stoked ! If you identify yourself as a River and Mountain lover, a student of geography intertwined with history and culture this book satiates all of those cravings. Having read the Nanda Devi Affair by Bill Aitken (A Scottish but a naturalized Indian Citizen ) I got this lesser known book of his. From the ganga to the couverture the book makes you fall in love again with the rivers while connecting the dots between history, culture and geographical significance of the land. Thus, If you identify this great quote, then you would love this book: " The mark of a successful man is one who can sit by the river all day without feeling guilty about it "
March 21, 2017
What an engrossing book this has been. I am fascinated by rivers and Bill Aitken in his easy and totally languid and sometimes unnerving way makes you fall in love with his journey across the length and breadth of India in the quest of the Seven Sacred Rivers and others as well. The over dependency of Ganges in the Hindu Religion is brought out so well, with myths, superstitions all. It's journey from the mountains, it's source down to the Bay of Bengal is enthralling. So also the rivers of the South, the West and East. Narmada is beautifully described and I too find that river fascinating. The Brahmaputra, the Jhelum, the poor Yamuna, the Krishna, Godavari the Sutlej..all weave a story of their own. That Hinduism overpowered the rivers that made Buddhism their home is also fascinating. Bill Aitkin 's thirty years of travel over the Indian soil and such details about every river side, bed, tributary,that he has visited.. From the icy pinnacles of Lehman to the rivers of Kerala is truly fascinating. A very lucid read and you don't feel like putting the book down till you finish every bit of the book! Highly recommended!
July 8, 2017
out and out a beautiful read. bill is sublime when it comes to writing about India and its nature. fortunate to have read him...
December 2, 2021
It's Aitken what do we expect other than wise thought in print
February 12, 2023
Digresses incoherently from the subject
August 14, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews