It's a case of Meera-Krishna revisited. Perhaps the sole woman author who's dedicated her life to writing about the part-mystic, part-misunderstood faith of the Buddha, Sunita Dwivedi, in her forthcoming book In Quest of Buddha: A Journey Along The Silk Road goes back into history yet again, exploring the oldest and the greatest international trade road, the Silk Route

What's the book about: Buddha or the Silk Route?
I must admit that this travelogue in the shadow of the Buddha has been aided and enriched by the accounts of all those who have traversed the Silk Road before me. I have been travelling to China since 1999. First, as a casual tourist in search of some scenic beauty, but later as a serious traveller on the Silk Road in search of the Buddha. It took five years of serious work to travel along the international road bit by bit, photograph the Buddhist sites, and compile the book.



Which places does it take the reader to?
The book takes the reader through the dreadful deserts of the Gobi and the Taklamakan, over the snowy ranges of the Pamir, meandering through innumerable oases dotting the foot of the Tienshan and Kunlun ranges, and traces beautiful river valleys. It takes a peep into the splendid grottoes and cliff theatres of the Silk Road where the Great Buddha still lives and breathes.

How tough is it to explore Buddhism?
Honestly, the subject appeared difficult at first. But I was a lover of the Buddha and was curious to follow him everywhere. I am not certain when Buddha first walked into my life. Perhaps in my childhood when I used to run barefoot across the green fields to play at the giant mound of ancient bricks called the Ramabhar Stupa.