Contents: Introduction. 1. Man of straw. 2. Man, the enigma. 3. The rivals. 4. No return. 5. The end of all journeys. 6. The gift. 7. Initiation. 8. Procrastination. 9. The horoscope. 10. The rule of fate. 11. Life beyond death. 12. Mother and wife. 13. The five-yearly vote. 14. A prayer. 15. The dead shall never rise. 16. Maya, the mover. 17. A cripple scales a mountain. 18. Manikarnika ghat. 19. The renunciation. 20. Puri. 21. The end. Glossary.

"Astride the Wheel is a quiet tale of the last years of a temple priest in rural Orissa and his acceptance of monotonous poverty—the fate of most Indian villagers. Sanatan Dase dimly senses that a great freedom lies beyond his wife’s continuous complaints, the petty social insults he bears, and the endless shortages in his life.

"The first half of the novel is set in a village in Orissa. In its second half, the reader leaves behind the claustrophobic Brahmin settlement, its caste hierarchies, trivial preoccupations and repetitive rituals to travel with Sanatan Dase to Dakhineswar, Varanasi, Vrindavan, and finally to Puri. The protagonist’s outward pilgrimage coincides with a journey into an inner world of profound mystical experience.

"Often described as a Hindu novel, the work hints at a secret and flawless happiness that is attainable through simple piety and devotion.

"This translation will appeal to aficionados of regional Indian literature, as well as the general reader." (jacket)