An exploration of the philosophical and ideological resistance that informed one of the greatest mass movements in post-independent India. The history of the Narmada Bachao Andolan continues to resonate today and inspire environmental struggles around the world. It interweaves and contrasts the ancient sacred river stories of the people of the Narmada Valley and contemporary stories of the dam(n)ing of the river driven by a mechanistic/materialistic view of water as a mere ‘resource’ to be exploited for unsustainable goals.