River as Sutra or, the Binding Principle in A River Sutra

Abstract

In A River Sutra, Gita Mehta applies the same idea as she used in her previous works, Karma Cola (1997) and Raj (1989), the various cultures, communities and traditions. Her concern in writing is always focused on racial harmony, unity, peace, and prosperity of the people of various ethnic, cultural groups. The novel has a setting on the bank of India’s holiest river-the Narmada, amid “the constant traffic of pilgrims, archaeologists, policemen, priests and traders.” Gita Mehta represents Narmada River as both the physical entity and the multicultural construct, which became supplementary and complementary to each other. The human relationship within a community and with the members of other communities is closely associated with Narmada River which functions as ‘Sutra or the Binding Principle’, the binding force to different communities. Thus, the mythical, multicultural and spiritual concepts that the diverse social communities create about the Narmada associate them, as the basic source of such construct is the same. Mehta’s major involvement is with human subsistence in modern times.