Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum Hosts Literary Evening On “Tripping Down The Ganga”

The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum on Wednesday organised a literary event featuring a discussion on the book “Tripping Down the Ganga- A Son's Exploration Of Faith” authored by awyer turned writer Siddharth Kapila.

The event was held at Bar room 18 in the Delhi High Court premises. The evening was attended by members of the judiciary, bar and literary community.

Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Justice Prateek Jalan, former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma were present in the event.

Other members of the bar who were present are Senior Advocates Nandita Rao and Deepika V. Marwah, Kajal Chandra (Senior Member Executive, DHCBA) and Ms. Vidhi Jain (Member Executive, DHCBA).

In his address, the Chief Justice reflected on his intellectual journey, sharing how reading Bertrand Russell and studying mathematics had shaped him into a rationalist.

He observed that over time he had come to acknowledge that experiences beyond the five senses may exist, and spoke of the enduring philosophical inquiry: “Who am I?”

Justice Prateek Jalan spoke about the deeply personal nature of the author's journey, noting the vulnerability with which Siddharth Kapila narrated and his reconciliation with faith while retaining a questioning and analytical outlook.

He said that the book reflects an honest engagement with doubt and belief rather than a simplistic endorsement of either.

Justice Indu Malhotra highlighted the author's immersive journeys, including his travels alongside the Kanwariyas.

She reflected on the author's nuanced exploration of faith communities often stereotyped in public discourse, and his probing question — whether they were obstructing “our” paths, or whether we were intruding upon theirs.

The author Siddharth Kapila spoke candidly about his upbringing — shaped by an atheist father and a deeply religious mother — and how this duality influenced his relationship with faith.

He described his journey along the Ganga as both physical and philosophical, revisiting childhood pilgrimages, engaging with sacred spaces as a questioning adult, and grappling with the limitations of ritualism as well as the insufficiency of atheism in answering fundamental existential questions.

The event was organised by Zeba Khair, Sunieta Ojha, Sonia Madan, Mani Gupta, Sitwat Nabi, Harshita, Mishika Singh, Mahima Ahuja, and Malvika Kapila on behalf of the Delhi High Court Women's Lawyers Forum.