Along the Godavari: River Boat Cruising in India

A few years ago, I happened upon a Telugu movie titled Godavari set in my home state of Andhra Pradesh. The heroine Seetha, a vivacious independent business woman in her late twenties refuses an arranged marriage and sets out on a solo journey to visit Bhadrachalam on a Godavari river cruise. Bhadrachalam is a small town pilgrimage on the banks of the river where a 17th century Shri Rama temple perches on a small hill.

During the river voyage, Seetha meets Sriram, a well-educated man concerned about the welfare of fellow human beings. Instead of getting a typical tech job or going abroad, he hopes to go into politics to bring about change. Seetha falls in love with him, but only to discover him pining for another girl who is betrothed to someone her parents found. Whether or not Sriram begins to see Seetha in a different light, and if they eventually end up together is what the movie is about, of course with a good dose of Indian musical numbers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the scenery of the movie and related to the heroine. I also fell in love with the main character, the Godavari river itself. It is the second largest river in India (after the Ganges) and provides irrigation for many settlements and plays a vital role for the people in the surrounding areas. The vibrant villages on its banks, hilly rice fields, fishermen casting their nets, tent dwellings that tug at your heart, and the beauty of the winding river itself are enough to draw one in.