Intrepid author, traveller and researcher, Sunita Dwivedi set out on an
exhaustive journey through Central Asia in search of ancient statutes of
Buddha. Retracing the paths forged by great Buddhist monks over the
centuries, she negotiated scorching deserts, lush meadows, dry steppe
lands, snow-capped mountains and gushing river valleys to chronicle the
life and times of the many Budh viharas in which these statues had been
instated. Drawing upon her extensive sojourns, Sunita recreates in this
volume the bygone eras in which these shrines were once great centres of
learning and devotion. And, juxtaposing past grandeur with the
dereliction of the present, Sunita brings back to vivid life the holy
path of dharma these viharas once espoused.