Mark Twain once said, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Banaras which is called by different names such as Kashi and Varanasi is said to be a timeless city. It is also called Avimuktaka, the sacred space never to be forsaken by Shiva. It is believed to be the original ground created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Those who die here are guaranteed liberation from the repeated cycle of birth and...

I’m sure most of you must have heard of Zardozi embroidery. Today this craft has become a mainstay in couture and bridal costumery and can be afforded by many. But there was a time when only the kings and the royals could adorn garments embroidered in Zardozi as it was made using fine gold, silver and precious stones. This magnificent art of metallic embellishment on fabrics added glitter, glamour, opulence and power to their wardrobe. Though this craft was prevalent in India even in ancient...

The Harappan Civilization is a culture wrapped in a shroud of mystery. Who were the Harappans? What language did they speak? How urbanised was the Harappan civilization? How did it decline? In this episode, listen to Prof. I.S. Marwah talking about the marvels and mysteries of the Indus Valley Civilization. He is a social anthropologist who has a vast experience of almost 5 decades in studying a number of tribal and agrarian communities in India and abroad. He has taught at the University of...

India’s fascination with the Rolls Royce goes back to the days of the Maharajas. Did you know the very first Rolls Royce bought by an Indian Maharaja was the ‘Pearl of the East? It was bought by the Maharaja of Mysore after he saw the car in the Bombay-Kolhapur Motor Trial in 1908. Why was India such an important market for Rolls Royce? What kind of specific body styles people in India asked for when they bought a Rolls Royce? Was it ever used as a garbage collection vehicle in India by a...

It was India’s finest hour: when Indian armed forces fought against those of Pakistan to help the Bengali speaking population of East Pakistan from annihilation and give them a new country called Bangladesh. This conflict completely reshaped the sub-continent and today, on the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War, listen to Satyajit Lall who is passionate about military affairs and diplomacy and is writing a book on the 1971 war talking about the reasons and factors which led...

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the 9th of the 10 Sikh Gurus. The first phase of his were years of education, marriage and heroism. The second phase of his life were years of intense meditation at Baba Bakala. The third and the last phase of his life were years of his pontificate on the spiritual throne of Guru Baba Nanak. Guru Tegh Bahadur and his three disciples were executed at Chandni Chowk, Delhi on the order of Aurangzeb for espousing the cause of persecuted Hindus. In this episode of the Indian...

India, with around 500 tribal groups is home to the largest tribal population in the world. Known as Adivasi’s, these tribal communities have an enigmatic culture and continue to practice their own values, traditions and customs which are passed down from generation to generation. Munda tribe is one of the indigenous tribes of India which belongs to the Chota Nagpur plateau and is spread across Jharkand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal. Who are the Mundas? Where...

Long before we had the modern and contemporary art, we had the indigenous art which showcased a wide variety and genealogy. Passed down from generation to generation, Indian folk and tribal art is culturally diverse and distinct. It was never indulged in purely for pleasure but was the creative expression of people who lived in harmony with nature. It depicted people’s daily lives. It was made during special occasions and ceremonies. These Painted narratives on various surfaces have today...

What today is called the Old Delhi or Purani Dilli, was once the imperial capital of the Mughal empire. It was called Shahjahanabad. And at its heart was the famous Qila –e – Mubarak or as we know it today the red fort; which served as the main residence for the Mughal emperors starting from Shah Jahaan. This walled city saw both grandeur and tragedy and even today one does get to see the remnants of it. In this episode of The Indian Podcast, listen to historian, Dr. Swapna Liddle, who has...

We all know the story of Ramayan, where Raavan abducted Shri Ram’s wife Sita and took her to his kingdom of Lanka. He held her as a prisoner in Ashok Vatika, and also expressed a desire to marry her. Later, Rama, with the support of vanara king Sugriva and his army of vanars, attacked Ravana in Lanka. Raavan was killed and Sriram rescued Maa Sita. This day is celebrated as Dussehra and gives the message of victory of good over evil. But Raavan was he just pure evil or did he also have a...

In this episode of The Indian Podcast, listen to Mr. Roopinder Singh talking about the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji; the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus. More about Mr. Roopinder Singh: He is the author of Guru Nanak: His Life and Teachings (2004), MIAF Arjan Singh DFC (2002) and Delhi ’84 (2014). He is co-author of Sikh Heritage: Ethos and Relics (2012). The Chandigarh-based journalist is Senior Associate Editor of The Tribune. In his three decades there, he...

Do you know, measuring time has always been an important endeavor throughout human history. People in the ancient times found different ways and methods to determine the passage of time. Today its quite easy for us to tell the date and time, but for our ancestors it wasn’t easy at all. For them time was written in the sun, moon and the stars. In the day and night. In the change of seasons. In this episode, historian and author Mr. Murad Ali Baig will be talking about the evolution of time...

The British landed in India in Surat in the early 1600’s for the purpose of trading. In the hundred years from the Battle of Plassey in 1757 to the rebellion of 1857, the East India Company had transformed from a trading company to a ruling one. In this episode, listen to historian and author, Dr. Swapna Liddle, talking about how the revolt of 1857 was much more than just a sepoy mutiny. What were the various reasons that caused this rebellion, how was it conducted, how did the east Indian...

Did you know in ancient northern India, wandering Kathakars or storytellers used to communicate stories from the great epics and ancient mythology through dance, songs and music. In this episode of the Indian Podcast, listen to Padmashri Guru Shovana Narayan talking about the origin of Kathak and how this dance form has survived through various eras of Indian history. She also talks about her life journey as a successful classical dancer, a scholar and a civil servant.

India, one of the mega biodiversity hotspots in the world is unique for its faunal elements which are Gondwanaian, Afrotropical, Oriental and Paleoarctic. It has a rich heritage of wildlife as well as long history and tradition of conservation. Wildlife in India also has deep cultural and religious significance. In this episode of The Indian Podcast, listen to Dr. M K Ranjitsinh who belongs to the royal family of Wankaner and is a living legend of wildlife conservation in India talking about...

Have you ever wondered what was life like in the 1940’s? In this episode listen to Mr. Peter Chintamani Prasad talking about how one lived in Delhi in those days. What conveniences did people have at home? How did they socialise? Where did they shop or dine? How did they commute? 1940’s was also the decade when India crossed the bridge from colonialism to independence. In this episode Mr. Prasad also shares his memories of the partition and how he got a chance to meet Pandit Jawaharlal...

Movies like the Jurassic park have intrigued us. From professional palaeontologists to kids, there are dinosaur lovers of all ages. In this episode of the Indian Podcast, listen to Nawabzaadi Aaliya Sultana Babi of Balasinor fondly known as India’s dinosaur princess talking about how Raiyoli, a village in Balasinor, Gujarat became the third largest dinosaur hatchery in the world and how she has been protecting and raising awareness about the most significant site for dinosaur remains in India.

Ayurveda is an ancient science of life since time immemorial. It gives us guidelines on how to raise the quality of every aspect of our life. In this episode listen to renowned Ayurvedic physician with Vaidyaratnam title, Dr. Raghavan Ramankutty talking about how Ayurveda is a way of life that focusses on the health of a person and not the disease. What are the do’s and don’ts’s of healthy living which can prevent the genesis of disease. How Ahaara (food), Nidra (sleep) and Brahamcharya...

Mr. Murad Ali Baig is a renowned author as well as a motoring and travel journalist. He has written books on history, mythology and religion such as 80 Questions to Understand India, Ocean of Cobras and Rolls-Royce and the Indian Princes to name a few.

Dr. Ravinder Kaushik MD(Ayu) currently holds the position of Director at Anantya Healthcare and is primarily involved in bringing together the understanding of the genetic make-up, the overall body functions, activities of various organs and administration of the Ayurvedic Medicine to ensure a healthy state of being. He has established himself as a trained pulse diagnosis expert, serving the HRV based pulse diagnosis industry for over 7 years now.

Bob Rupani is one of India’s pioneering and most senior and respected auto journalists and has been executive editor of magazines such as BBC Top Gear (India), Auto India, Car & Bike International, and Auto Motor & Sport. He is now consulting editor of Overdrive. He has successfully participated in Indian motorsport events and also been part of several international overland expeditions and classic car rallies. Bob has been leader of the only Indian team ever, to have participated in...

Ajay Chaturvedi is a prolific author, darshnik and an entrepreneur. He has authored the best selling book 'The Lost Wisdom of The Swastika' which has been adopted as a reference book across many prominent B-schools and universities. A subject on Business Sustainability Management, approved by AICTE has been adapted from this book, called 'Kulhad Economy'.

Dr. Kumkum Srivastava holds a doctorate in anthropology and has published a lot on historical anthropology. She also organizes heritage walks in Delhi and shares her passion with the next generation, giving them a glimpse of Delhi's history.

Dr. Ravikant is a bilingual media historian, writer, and translator. He is the author of 'Media ki Bhasha-leela' book. Currently, he is working as an Associate Professor at CSDS.