Book Review: Two Wheels In The Dust by Anne Mustoe
Author: Jason Crane
Date: 1 May, 2008
Category: Book Review, Jason Crane
Review: Two Wheels In The Dust
by Anne Mustoe
Anne Mustoe is an amazing woman. She left a career as headmistress of a British school to cycle around the world. Twice.
On one of those trips, she saw a man praying to Hanuman, the Hindu monkey-god who plays a large part in the Ramayana, one of the foundational texts of Hinduism, and one of the most famous pieces of mythology in India. She was so intrigued by the image of this devout man that she decided to follow the story of the Ramayana by bicycle across India.
The Ramayana is the story of Rama and Sita, husband and wife. When Sita is abducted by the evil god Ravana, Rama, who has been exiled from his rightful place as heir to his father’s kindgom, embarks on a quest to free her. The Ramayama details that quest, complete with huge battles between Rama’s allies and Ravana’s forces.
In its original telling, Rama was purely human. Extraordinary, to be sure, but mortal. In later years, more text was added to make Rama an incarnation of Vishnu, and thus a god in human form. Following this transformation, the Ramayana became a religious text in addition to being an important piece of Hindu mythology.
Mustoe’s book details her travels across India, following the trail spelled out in the Ramayana. She visits shrines to Rama and Hanuman, experiences both the best and the worst in accomodations, travels from wealth to poverty and back again, and is inspired again by the wonder and mystery of India.
Before reading Two Wheels In The Dust
I highly recommend Two Wheels In The Dust. If you purchase it using this link
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