A timeless journey to self-realisation

By Sahitya Akademi Award winning author, Dhiruben Patel

When a sannyasi turns his back on worldly life, he is said to have transcended the trammels of mundane existence. But what of the sannyasi who turns his back on renunciation itself? Rainbow at Noon describes the life of Shan, who is able to navigate his soul out of the world and back into it, only to realize the place for the self is in the self.

Here is the story of a sannyasi who returns to his home in Mumbai and how he is treated by the world. It is a brilliant account of the inner turmoil of every man who wishes to rise above himself. Lucidity and succinctness characterise Raj Supe's translation of Dhiruben's original Gujarati.

The lay reader is quickly drawn into the story of Ishan and his family and is easily able to assimilate what could otherwise have been abstruse and profound text. Rainbow at Noon can be read over and over again without losing its novelty, as new layers reveal themselves. It is like a little jewel that retains its lustre forever.