Standing in the rivers of faith

In Tripping Down the Ganga, Siddharth Kapila documents his seven-year journey, both physical and spiritual, along the country's holiest river

- Deepansh Duggal

For many young Indians, their faith is in a perennial state of flux. They roll their eyes when they are asked to perform religious rituals but seem to enjoy being a part of things from afar. Their participation is non-committal, the kind that maintains a distance. This allows them to dismiss faith's regressive aspects while also leaning into its more aesthetic elements. Are they cool atheists or even cooler agnostics? Then there are, of course, the overly religious folk. So, is there an in-between?

In Tripping Down the Ganga, author Siddharth Kapila asks a pertinent question: Why, in some liberal Indian circles, is atheism considered a more sophisticated, socially acceptable position to take? Why is being overly religious looked down upon, or even associated with being ignorant? He then urges young readers to turn this critical gaze inwards.

Much of the inspiration for the seven-year journey, both physical and spiritual, down the country's holiest river documented in this 472-page work comes from the author's devout Shiv bhakt mother.

Kapila attempts to critically examine the ideas of faith that she passed down to him, even as he is cognisant of the rationalism of his atheist father. Indeed, so staunch an atheist is Kapila Sr that he tells his wife: "You better not put my ashes in any filthy river after I go, dear lady. I'd rather you put me in the gutter".