Pierre's father who is a doctor, is invited to attend a medical convention in Afghanistan. He has not heard from his son for nearly a year, so being in that part of the world, he thinks he might be able to take advantage of the opportunity to try and find out what has happened to Pierre.
The Indian Embassy in Kabul tell him that many wondering travellers spend time roaming about India without money or papers, and that very little can be done to trace them. However at this time of the year the travellers tend to congregate in Goa. Pierre had written to his parents from Goa, against his own better judgement, and with only Pierre's last forwarding addresses to go on, he takes a flight from Kabul to Bombay.
From Bombay he makes his way to Goa to look for his son. He is advised that many foreigners live in small huts in the forests that line the beaches. He goes to a market near the beach and asks around with a photo, if anyone might have seen his son. With the large number of people milling about in the heat, the atmosphere is very intense. He keeps seeing people whom he mistakes for Pierre.. Only to be let down when he comes closer or when they turn around. He gets abused and laughed at until he cannot stand it anymore; exhausted he starts to get away, when again he thinks he sees his son. He loses sight of him then catches another glimpse and in searching he is lead away from the scene. He gets lost in a forest and has to stop to rest and compose himself. Then on the way back he stumbles upon the person he was following, who turns out to be an addict in the throws of withdrawal symptoms. The father saves him from killing himself and becomes very involved in taking care of him. After a few days the young man is back on his feet again and while the father is out getting some food he runs away, steeling some money. Having been deprived of his parental role again, the father is very upset. 
Father meets Gopal Shiva, an accomplished yogi, who has shunned fame and public recognition, to lead a peaceful life here. Father learns that Pierre had spent time studying with Gopal Shiva, but had left over a year ago and hadn't been heard of since; moreover he is discouraged from pursuing his search. He decides to visit some of the places Pierre had written about in his letters ‑ hidden temples, caverns, ruins with intricate sculptures. Finding the spot by the river where Pierre used to wash and go swimming in the mornings, father tries to visualise him there, which gives him a very warm and enchanting feeling. Waking from his day dream he again realises he is alone and a cold shiver runs up his spine.
Next the father goes to a small village near Madras from where Pierre had last sent a postcard of a sculpture with a peculiar message inscribed on the other side, “going to see an ice erection” love Pierre. The sculpture is carved on a large rock face of a temple hollowed out of solid rock. It depicts Vishnu (a Hindu deity) being protected from some angry demonic creatures by four winged babies. While puzzling over the sculpture hoping it might reveal the key to his son's whereabouts, father notices seated in the temple a monk whose eye happens to be badly inflamed. He is attracted toward the monk and decides to treat his wound. The monk whose gratitude transcends the barrier of languages, gives to the father a gift of some small bits of stone, while voicing the sound am..rr..na.. He gestures to the father to repeat the sounds who unsuspectingly does so.
Back in Madras, father writes his wife that he is on his way home. He tells her he is frightened to stray too much further, for he is getting a fixation that even if he does find the right place he might be looking in the wrong direction as he passes their son on the street, and it is becoming too much of a strain peering into every face that passes him by. He takes a plane to Delhi and awaits his flight back home. Sitting in his hotel lobby he ponders over the postcard. An Indian fellow is seated opposite holding up an English newspaper.
The father puts his hand in his pocket and as he touches the pieces of stone the monk had given him, he notices on the back page, an article about a place called Amarnath, which gives him a clue to the Ice Erection. He has an impulse to go there but is held back by the memory of his impulsiveness in Goa. The man whose paper it is notices the father's anxiety and introduces himself as a doctor of herbal medicine. The father inquires about the Amarnath and the doctor recounts him a legend that inspires him to make the journey. In his excitement he writes to his wife that he is going to see an Ice Erection.
On the return journey, he reflects that he is very tired, the search is coming to an end and now sadness permeates his body. A lot has happened but now it is time to go home, back to the reality of his own life, hard work and responsibility. All this adventure in India has been so light, so easy to carry, but now he remembers the burden of existence: it is time to stop being a wondering traveller.
The pilgrims are ready to part with their dearest possessions in order to reach their goal. Ever since he took his first step in search of his son, he too has been on a pilgrimage ‑ and at the climax of the real pilgrimage, he found out that he was not looking for his son, he was looking for himself.