Book | India | Traditions
Unusual Practices in the Stories of Nine Lives
Preserving Traditions in India
The book Nine Lives is a collection of interviews by William Dalrymple, an accomplished author of travelogues and historical nonfiction. His writing shows his love of travel and the culture of India.
Each chapter provides insights into one person’s sacred life and the devotions that connect them to their God through ritual and prayer.
They represent examples of the mystic sects and practices that exist in India today. Living on the edge of society, these individuals preserve their traditions in the midst of a changing land.
Most of the customs are threatened in some way by a more defined Hinduism, a radicalized Islam and the modernization of society in general.
The nine stories are:
1. The Nun’s Tale
Dalrymple begins this book with an interview of a Jain nun named Prasannamati Mataji. Jainism requires adherents to carefully avoid harming any living creatures. She sweeps the ground before her as she walks and drinks only filtered water. He describes her devotion to this ascetic faith and her…
