Dive into the fascinating world of ramen with our latest podcast episode! Meet Osaki Hoshiri, a man who eats 800 bowls of ramen a year and has dedicated his life to writing about this iconic Japanese dish. Discover how ramen evolved from a humble meal to a cultural phenomenon, with intriguing origin stories dating back[...]
Explore the captivating journey of tea from its ancient origins to its modern-day significance in India and also we unravel the social, psychological, and poetic effects of this beloved beverage, delving into its rich history, cultural impact, and the rituals that surround it. From the colonial trade routes to the bustling streets of contemporary India,[...]
Unlock the surprising history behind your favorite brew in this episode! Delve into the captivating tale of how two pandemics and the guidance of priests paved the frothy path for beer to become the beloved beverage it is today. Step back in time and discover the fascinating origins of beer that transcend centuries and pandemics[...]
Delve into Bangalore’s culinary obsession with Gobi Manchurian and explore how language influences our food experiences. Journey back to Calcutta's history of Chinese migration, uncovering the roots of Indian-Chinese cuisine. Discover the intriguing parallels between food and sex, as we uncover the hidden connections that tantalize our taste buds and ignite our passions. Tune in[...]
Ever wondered why do East Asian cuisine's lack of desserts. From the subtleties of taste to the deep-rooted philosophies, explore why sugar takes a backseat in Chinese culinary traditions. Discover how genetic predispositions, cultural norms, and historical contexts shape the palate of billions. Through insightful discussions and savory insights, we unravel the fascinating world where[...]
Ever wondered about the culinary secrets hidden within the folds of nature's humble leaves? Join us on a tantalizing audio journey that delves deep into the heart of global cuisine, where the simple leaf becomes a vessel of culinary creativity and cultural heritage. From the bustling streets of Mumbai's Matunga to the serene temples of[...]
Unveil the enigmatic ties between Rajasthan and distant lands in this trivia-packed Episode ! From the exploits of Paan Singh Tomar to the fascinating history of the Tomar clan, embark on a journey through time and lineage. Explore the tantalizing theories linking Rajasthan's Chauhan kings to the Huns of Hungary, weaving a tale of shared[...]
Did you know that the famous 221B Baker Street, home to Sherlock Holmes, sparked a real-life address feud in London? Dive into the intriguing world of addresses with us this week as we uncover the unexpected drama behind this fictional location. From mysterious letters to a full-time job just to reply to them, the story[...]
What if for a moment, I transported you into the heart of Tokyo, and you discover that the city has no street names? And not just Tokyo, all of Japan is like that. And what does that have to do with the 1987 U2 song 'Where Streets Have No Names', written in a completely different[...]
Embark on a journey from Poland to China in this riveting episode as we explore why dictators are drawn to town squares and how these very squares become the stages of their demise. From Tiananmen Square in Beijing, witness the poignant events of 1989, to the Grand Market in Krakow, a symbol of resilience against[...]
In this week's episode, join us on a journey to Krakow, Poland, where a statue of Soviet hero Vladimir Lenin undergoes a bizarre journey from a symbol of communism to a casualty of local disdain. Uncover the surprising twists that lead this statue to an unexpected home in a Wild West-themed park in Sweden. From[...]
Embark on a riveting journey with this week's episode as we trace the tumultuous odyssey of a priceless painting worth two billion Euros. From Hotel Lambert in 1830s Paris to the clandestine moves during World Wars, this painting, Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Lady with an Ermine,' becomes a symbol of Poland's resilience and identity. Through six[...]
Journey back in time to Krakow's darkest hours during the Holocaust, where ordinary heroes emerged from the shadows. Explore the remarkable story of Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his team at the 'Under the Eagle' pharmacy, a symbol of hope in a sea of despair. As walls rose around the ghetto, this unassuming pharmacy became an embassy[...]
This episode takes you on a journey through the complex legacy of Spielberg's Schindler's List. Beyond the heroism, we explore the enigmatic truth behind Oskar Schindler, and why it's not quite what it seems. We also contrast it with The Pianist, a Holocaust film that presents a different perspective - the victim's story. Join us[...]
1981, Communist Poland At the peak of the Soviet rule in Poland, the country had run into enormous economic hardships. Food became scarce, and citizens marched on the streets protesting against hunger. Everything became rationed, and even then, sometimes the rationed needs could not be met. But this is not the story of the food[...]
Prepare to be transported to the heart of Krakow, Poland, where an ancient Oak tree holds secrets of a nation's tumultuous history. Step back in time to November 6, 1939, when shadows of tyranny descended upon Poland, targeting its intellectual backbone. Unveil the riveting account of sacrifice, resilience, and a silent sentinel the Oak of[...]
Explore the chilling tale of Cywia Asterblum, a student condemned in 1936 Poland for protesting anti-Semitism, setting the stage for a dark period in history. The episode navigates through the haunting realities of Auschwitz and unveils the controversial 'Memory Laws' in modern Poland. Delving into the eerie concept of Holocaust Envy, the episode reveals the[...]
Discover Krakow's dramatic transformation from devastation to grandeur after the Mongol invasion of 1241. Join us as we delve into the secrets buried beneath its cobbled streets witness the rise, struggles, and innovative solutions of a medieval city grappling with waste management. Uncover how the echoes of the past resonate through its architecture and ground[...]
What could possibly be wrong or complicated about the legacy of the one of the most loved boy detectives in the world? Tintin has been and will continue to be a part of the childhood of millions, including mine. But what did a visit to Brussels in Belgium, home to Herge the creator of Tintin,[...]
Imagine the last time you had some horrendous food. Like the kind which not only tastes bad, but also gives you a recoiling diarrohea. The one you take almost a week to properly recover from. Now imagine walking into your home after being drenched in the rain, and being greeted with smell of crisp frying[...]
Think Tennis and Taekwondo. Two sports which could not be more different from each other, but they have one aspect in common. Grunting. But what's the big deal about grunting in sports? And if you thought these two were unrelated, may I introduce Indian classical music in the mix? What could possible connect grunting and[...]
In July 2023, Coke Studio Bharat dropped a song, Khalasi. It took only a few days for it to rake up over 20 Million listens on YouTube, making it an instant hit. It was a bunch of firsts - A Gujarati song, that too one which is not a Garba song, and comes from a[...]
This week on "Postcards from Nowhere. we unveil the hidden power of architecture in Jaipur's streets and discover how food-named lanes were tools of statecraft, intricately designed to influence politics and trade and explore how history's complexities defy simplistic narratives, as we delve into the strategic fusion of architecture and power. And if you are[...]
If you consider yourself patriotic, do you know about Hussaniwala? It's a small village on the border of Indian Punjab and Pakistan and has a fascinating history that shaped both pre and post-independence India. This week, on the eve of our independence day, we speak with Varun Oak-Bhakay, who travelled to Hussainiwala, the Land of[...]
In 1922, The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in the Valley of the Kings by excavators led by the Egyptologist Howard Carter. It was the first known largely intact royal burial from ancient Egypt and became one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century. Inside the tomb, amongst thousands of objects, two[...]
Imagine the badlands of Chambal in the 70's, the setting of Sholay and Kaalia pleading to Gabbar for his life - Sardar, maine aapka namak khaya hai. Now imagine the greatest philosopher from China, Confucious reflecting about the nature of that very namak, and how should rulers rule with morality. What connects the two is[...]
In this episode of we delve into the little-known Salt Satyagraha in Odisha, which took place before Gandhi's famous Dandi March. Join us as we explore the fight to save the soul of Odia cuisine, uncovering the historical significance of salt and its impact on the region's traditional dishes. Discover the rich culinary heritage of[...]
By some counts, at its peak, the Mongol Empire stretched nearly 31 million square kilometres, an area of land roughly the size of the African continent. But what did this Empire led by Genghis Khan eat during the long conquests over highland passes and treachrous mountains? And what could it have to do with a[...]
He quit his cushy job at Amazon and travelled from 2015 to 2019. He has jumped into lakes and seas in Argentina (more than a few times), watched soaring condors while trekking in the South of Chile (well, one condor but a really majestic one), walked from the end of Switzerland to the end of[...]
1957 - Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. A humble betel nut seller decides to start a 4 seater Biryani hotel, with a recipe from his wife. Over 60 years later, that tiny hotel is a sprawling business valued at over 860 crores. So what is so special about the Biryani from Dindigul? Or for that matter of[...]
27 Women poets, 102 anonymous and a total of 473 poets over centuries created a body of work, which came to define Tamil culture. And then most of it falls into oblivion for much of the second millennium AD. They were preserved by and rediscovered in the monasteries of Hinduism, particularly those related to the[...]
In the evolution from primates to humans, we lost our hair and developed a layer of fat. But as science is discovering now, we also lost our ability to synthesis a few compounds which were critical for the long term survival of humans. But what if I told you that the last Ice Age had[...]
This week, we travel through time, through stories of Lord Buddha, and verses of Arthashastra to modern times, and understand how India developed a tense relationship with Alcohol. Till then Check out the other episodes, Anne Frank, Lootera and Endless Life of Trees The Trees that built Venice Elm Trees, National Revolutions and Modern Paper[...]
Do you wish to buy a new car? Or build the house of your dreams? But don’t know how to plan for your goals financially. Well, worry no more we got you. In today’s episode of Investverse, an investor education initiative by HDFC MF, Anupam will be in conversation with Utsav Mamoria, a consumer insights[...]
The 1949 Prohibition Act in the Bombay Province gave rise to a clandestine alcohol operation in the city called Aunty Bars. Apart from serving locally brewed alcohol, they also saw hawkers selling snacks, which eventually came to be known as Chakna. But Chakna is not a modern invention, and in fact has documented history tracing[...]
Would you believe me if I said that Tamil Nadu once hated filter coffee? If this sounds absurd, this week we travel in time to colonial Tamil Nadu and discover the story uncover the story of how the state went from hating to loving coffee Till then Check out the other episodes, Anne Frank, Lootera[...]
Every year in early January, thousands of people, barefoot walk about 160 miles to the town in Tamil Nadu. They are devotees of the Tamil god Murugan, and carry a specific food item with them. Similarly, in the peak of summer, another set of men take the same journey, but carry a different food item[...]
543 BC, Lord Buddha had left the earth, and his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kushinagar, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. His left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by his disciple, Khema. Over the decades, it changed hands and found itself in Kandy, Sri Lanka. So important was this tooth,[...]
Each year, Yulin in the Guangxi province of China catches the worlds attention for its dog meat festival, and receives harsh criticism. Closer home, activists have been trying to ban the dog meat among the tribes of Nagaland, even though the tribes enjoy protection under section 371A of the constitution. This week, we travel back[...]
On 16 November 2010, UNESCO declared this among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This is usually seen in the Catalonian region of Spain, the Balearic islands and Valencia. This also has a sibling 7000 kms away on the coast of India. This week, we travel from Catalonia in Spain to[...]
The midnight of 1st June 1981 is etched into the history of Jaffna. The city witnessed a one of its kind of violence, which was not just physical, but imaginative - aimed to strike at the heart of the city’s soul. And what eventually led to change the fate of a people. This week, we[...]
27th April 2018 The supreme leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un stepped over the De-militarized Zone (or DMZ) boundary line and entered South Korea. It was the first time since the 1950 Korean War that a North Korean leader had entered South Korean territory. As a symbol of peace, the Kim Jong Un also[...]
In the legends of the Puri Jagannath temple, an irate goddess Laxmi is placated by Lord Jagannath by offering her a sweet. Its the same sweet which led to a battle between Odisha and West Bengal with each claiming to be the original inventor of it. But the presence of the sweet itself is a[...]
In the early 19th century, the Maharaja of Travancore levied an absolutely bizzare tax: Any woman who had come of age and had breasts had to pay a breast tax, and bare her breasts to anyone who was of a higher caste to them. This was one amongst the hundreds of taxes the lower castes[...]
"Banasura Hill in Wayanad is one of the tallest mountains and is named after Banasura, son of the great demon king Mahabali and himself a legendary king with a thousand arms. But what could he have to do with the fact that Malaria is endemic in Wayanad? Meanwhile, the entire district is known to have[...]
1756, France - A 27 year old man publishes two volumes on integral calculus. His work is recognized by his peers, he gets elected to the Royal Society in London, but his career as a mathematician also ends with those two volumes. A few decades later, a man circumnavigates the globe, but does not immediately[...]
1470 BC - A five-ship caravan by Egyptian Pharoah Hatshepsut undertakes a unique voyage, possibly the first plant-collecting mission masterminded by a woman. The voyage is successful as the touring party returns with 31 live plants of a certain species. Over 4000 kms away, in a port once considered one of the greatest in the[...]
1939, Edinburgh. The 7th International Congress of Genetics was being held, but it was not just another scientific conference. It was held after a gap of 4 years, and the most discussed subject had nothing to do with genetics. Everyone was discussing an empty chair. A few decades later, the prime minister of one of[...]
After its arrival in Crimea in 1347, it rapidly spread through Constantinople, Spain, France and southern England. By 1350, it devastated Northern France, the British Isles, Germany and the Scandinavian region. It then crept up to Russia, touching Moscow in 1353. It killed an estimated 30% to 65% of European population. Thousands of kilometres in[...]
This week, we travel from the Wollemi National Park in Australia to the Xingdoushan Nature Conservation Area in China to uncover the story of two living fossils, and how trees can shape national identities. Till then Check out the other episodes of "Ireland Untravelled" Lost Treasures, Dynamite and the Irish Nation : https://ivm.today/3okwxm5 Gaelic and[...]
Sometime around early 1880, Edward Morse, an American zoologist and archaeologist, travelled through Japan. On a train ride between Yoko-hama and Tokyo, he noticed something odd - A shell mound. This discovery revolutionised the field of anthropology and archaeology in Japan. About 1500 kms away from Tokyo, lies the island of Yakushima, in the Kagoshima[...]
In the autumn of year 1280, Kublai Khan, the only non-Han to rule China convened a meeting at his summer palace in Shangdu, Inner Mongolia. He wanted to mount and attack on Japan, and eventually did so in 1281. Seven hundred years later, Japan was fighting another war it was losing quickly - World War[...]
In 1765, colonised America was hit by a British stamp tax. A group of local businessmen in Boston calling themselves the Loyal Nine began meeting in secret to plan a series of protests against the Stamp Act. They gathered under a large tree to protest against the act. Only a few years later in 1790,[...]
In 1964, the directors at the National Library of Spain in Madrid made a startling discovery. Owing to an error in the printed catalogue, two hitherto unknown notebooks belonging to a famous inventor were discovered. In Milan, a physicist discovers an interesting hypothesis about trees in the notebooks of the same inventor, and goes out[...]
On May 18, 2016, students in Islington, north London, gathered to attend a tree-planting ceremony. It had a small plaque explaining that the tree had been planted “in the hope that the young people of Islington will live in a society of mutual understanding and respect for diversity”. The guest of honour was Dr Eva[...]
In 1634, on Baisakhi day, a Sikh hunting party set their hawk or Baaz upon the royal Baaz of the Mughals. The Sikh Baaz prevailed, and the Mughal Baaz was captured. Angered by this action, Emperor Shah Jahan from Lahore sent 7,000 soldiers under Mukhlis Khan to attack. The outcome of the war shaped the[...]
"In January 2022, Tanya Tagaq, a 47 year old Canadian singer released her album - Tongues.The Rolling Stone called her ‘one of the avant-garde’s most dynamic performers. The Pitchfork said that her ‘music joins landscape, culture and resistance.’ Music joining landscape and resistance? This week, we travel to a place which has just 2 people[...]
The island of Satwal in the Pacific Ocean is incredibly small - Just 1 square kilometre and supports a population of 500. And yet, it is home to Mau Piailug, a man who holds the secrets of the some of the most long distance travellers of the world. Travellers who for thousands of years, have[...]
In 1971, Belfast witnessed a rising rock band debut their unnamed fourth album. Despite their first three albums breaking sales records, the album had a very cold reception. Decades later, a British author shopped her book to over ten publishers, all of whom rejected it. This week, in the fifteenth episode of the series Ireland[...]
In 1920, Colonel Charles - Bury was nervous about a diplomatic conversation with the then British Viceroy of India. He wanted to convince the Viceroy to allow a trip to Peak XV, which was suspected to be taller than Mount Kanchenjunga. Back in his home in Ireland, at the Charleville Castle, a 400 year tree[...]
In 1864, London saw the formation of a club consisting of nine members. It was called the X Club, since it committed its members to nothing. In fact, the only rule of the club was to have no rules. But this wasn't a bunch of rag-tag individuals. These nine members were some of the most[...]
On 4th May 1799, the British forces defeated the famed king of Mysore in a battle, largely owing to the king's chief minister betraying him. About 8500 kms away, the battle finds a reference in a 200 ft talk Obleisk in Phoenix Park, in Dublin Ireland. But is that the only legacy India has left[...]
On 20th May 1932, a 34-year-old woman set off from Newfoundland, the easternmost province of Canada. She flew for almost 15 hours, and created aviation history. She was supposed to land in Paris, but ended up in Derry, Northern Ireland. Almost 60 years later, just below the hill she landed, lived a young 8 year[...]
In the summer of 2009, as the world was still reeling from the impact of The Great Recession, a young man, by the name of Kieran McGuinness, was trying to perfect a song. It was inspired by some grafitti he had seen in Spain. But the song had a purpose, for he was trying to[...]
In 1993, a young alternative rock band was touring England. The lead vocalist, passed through a town near Liverpool which had been the site of a brutal bombing. Moved by the death of two people, she penned a stream of conciousness song which went onto become their biggest hit worldwide, and amassed 1 billion views[...]
1856, Dublin City. Over 3,600 soldiers sit down for a celebratory banquet after a hard fought Crimean war. But where does one find a building large enough to seat these many people? A warehouse is converted for this purpose, and 150 years later, it houses one of the most unique emigration museums of the world.[...]
On 15th April 1912, the RMS Titanic sank into the Atlantic Ocean. 100 years later, the city of Belfast inaugurated the opulent Titanic Museum, built at the cost of a whopping 116 million Euros. The museum also tells another story, that of the rise of Belfast city, making it one of the largest ports in[...]
Across the countryside in Ireland there are roads which go nowhere, and there are houses nobody lives in. The thousands of traveller less roads and empty homes have a singular story behind them. This week, in the sixth episode of the series, Ireland Untravelled, we uncover the greatest single event in Irish history - The[...]
In the early 1960’s, a young man from the Varad village on the Konkan Coast of India goes to study medicine at KEM Hospital in Bombay. Continents away in Paris at the Pere Lachaise cemetery, lies buried one of the finest playwrights and poets of the 19th century. A song by the Irish Punk Rock[...]
Three of the most iconic Irish bands walk into a bar - The Dubliners, The Chieftains and U2. They grab a few drinks, clear their throats and then proceed to play. The bar owner turns them down, and says that there will be no music at his bar. They leave. What? Who in their right[...]
On 25th August 1992, the Serbian paramilitaries set fire to the National Library of Sarajevo. The library burned for 2 days and 2 nights before the fire could be bought under control. A few centuries prior in 1592, Trinity College was established in Dublin, and it became the first university in all of Ireland and[...]
In 2016, a strange event unfolded in Cork County in Ireland. A staff member at the Flying Enterprise pub in Cork city was asked not to speak in Irish. Wait What? Not speak Irish in Ireland? This week, in the second episode of the series, Ireland Untravelled, we uncover the stunning decline of the Irish[...]
What does an instant Scottish classic, published in 1824, a book which has captured the imagination of the world since have to do with the troubled history of Ireland and Northern Ireland? What does a designer of a lighthouse along the coast of the UK have to do with Alfred Nobel, the man behind the[...]
Once consumed, feelings of infusion, vitalisation, empowerment, elevation, even travel into other worlds or possession by the divine had been reported. So important was this drink, that there is an entire chapter with 114 hymns that have been dedicated to this drink alone - in the Rigveda, no less. This week, in the fourteenth episode[...]
In the town of Rameswaram in Coastal Tamil Nadu, a boy is born into a fishing caste household. Across the Indian ocean in Sri Lanka, another boy is born into another household from the same fishing caste. Uncharacterstically, both of these men went on to become really famous in their own countries, taking up high[...]
In 1568, the Raja of Kochi gifted land to a tiny religious community, so that they have a place of worship away from home. This community was fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal and arrived in India in the 15th and 16th centuries and were given the name Paradesi or a foreigner in Malayalam due[...]
In the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, you would find a painting of Raja Ram Singh I, the ruler of Amer or present-day Jaipur. The king is engaged in an activity pretty common to the royals of his time. Meanwhile, every February and March, there is a fiery orange flower which blooms and[...]
In 1612, the royal family of Mysore - The Wodeyars brought upon themselves a curse which lasted 400 years. About two thousand years before that, the Mauryans traded over a branch of the Silk Route, which gave rise to an Indian culinary tradition which exists to this day. In the late 19th and early 20th[...]
In 2003, at a famed temple in South India, a 5000 year old idol was to be replaced. The temple officials decided to make an idol and several kilos of gold were collected to make the idol. However, once it was installed, things went awry, and a joint investigation by the police and IIT Madras[...]
Blood filled sausages, goat’s head in sour gruel, grilled stomach membrane and barbecued river rats - If this grossed you out, you must listen to this episode. This week, in the eighth episode of the series, Fabulous Foods, we delve into our privileged idea of Taboo foods, the tradition of eating meat in the Ramayan[...]
In 1856, the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah invites a prince from Delhi to his durbaar. He serves a dish, which masquerades as a a murabba - a thick, highly spiced conserve made of fruit or vegetables. In return, the prince invites Wajid Ali Shah to Delhi, and he too serves hundreds of[...]
"Peter Piper picked some packs of pickled peppers in each pack of pickled peppers that peter piper picked was 3 pickled peppers. Now peter piper is happy with all 36 of his pickled peppers. How many packs of pickled peppers did peter piper pick?" What does this tongue twisting nursery rhyme have to do with[...]
What does a 12th century treatise on the life of a medieval king in Karnataka have in common with 1st century Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu, that describes the ancient food practices of the Tamil people? And do they have to do with Dashavatars of Vishnu? This week, in the fifth episode of the series[...]
What connects the assasination attempt of King Jospeh 1 in Portugal, the ban on the Konkani language in Goa and a story about a young Lord Krishna, whose bravery provided the name of a famous waterfall? And how does it have an impact on almost all our culinary practices as Indians? This week, in the[...]
Why is the spice Nutmeg being mentioned in India's foremost treatise on military strategy? Why is it mentioned in a tri-fold collection of Sanskrit poetry about politics, erotic passion and renunciation? And what does it all have to do with the tiny cluster of islands in the southeastern Indian ocean, part of modern day Indonesia?[...]
About 2000 years ago, a group of people escaping persecution by the Greeks landed on the shores of Alibaug in Maharashtra, India. They were a small community, and soon spread out across the state. A similar phenomenon was observed in Cochin and Calcutta as well. The community went onto integrate so well into the regions[...]
In the spring of 1943, US torpedo boat No. 109 gets shattered to pieces by a Japanese destroyer. Some of the crew members make a miraculous escape, and one of them goes on to create history. Over 8000 miles across the oceans in Gujarat India, a team of paleobotanists find 37 million year old fossil.[...]
In the early 2000’s, a concerned government official approached Dave Martins. Dave was an iconic musician from the Caribbean, who was the lead vocalist of the band Tradewinds. Someone who had his finger on the pulse of the Southern Caribbean islands. The government official asked him to write a song to quell the ethnic violence[...]
"In October 2021, the Kannada film Salaga, featured a track which was sung by a Hindustani classical singer, the first from her community. Further up north in Hyderabad, since the 18th century, there is a popular form of music which features only drums. Across the border in Pakistan, a song sung by Balochi singer Shabana[...]
"In the 14th season of Coke Studio Pakistan, Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal gave us a beautiful song steeped in the Sufi tradition - Tu Jhoom. Almost 75 years ago, the prolific writer Saddat Hassan Manto, gave us 'Yazid', a story set in the backdrop of partition. But there is an unlikely connection between the[...]
In 1921, a bloody rebellion in North Kerala led to the death of over 2000 people. In 2018, almost a century later, a song from the film Oru Adaar Love titled Manikya Malaraya Poovi went viral, garnering millions of views, even from parts of India that did not understand a word of Malayalam. But what[...]
What does a military dictator in a South-East African republic have in common with Ramanand Sagar, the man who made the cult television show Ramayan? And what could it have to do with one of the richest communities in India, which actually thrived in that very African republic? This week, in the fourth episode of[...]
What does a small cluster of less than 100 villages in Tamil Nadu have in common with agrarian flatlands of Burma? And what are both of these doing in a conversation taking place in a modern urban home in the IT corridor of Bangalore? This week, in the the third episode of teh series, The[...]
In 1898, the New York Times wrote a glowing review of this particular service in India. Closer home, the Bombay Mill Owners Association wasn’t so pleased - The service was so popular amongst its workers, that it led to work disruptions. But what has all this got to do with the hill city of Dehradun.[...]
"It's all around us, so much so, that probably no state in India has been untouched by it - The labour migration. The state which probably provides the most manpower to India's varied workforce is Bihar. More specifically, the Bhojpur region. While the region has become infamous for its supposedly low brow music and cinema,[...]
In 1947, on the eve of Partition, a young man left Lahore and came to Shimla. What makes his journey unique, amongst the millions who must have undertaken this voyage is what he ended up doing in Shimla. What started out as a stationery shop went on to become a storied institution. This week, we[...]
It’s been over 2 years we have travelled together. This month, the Caravan rests to return in 2022. Till then Check out the other episodes of "India's Linguistic Heritage" The Hidden Story of Sanskrit, and the North-South Divide : https://ivm.today/3CpKQuO Reclaiming India's Linguistic Heritage: 300 Ramayanas?: https://ivm.today/3kgataz Partitions Unknown: Hindi, Urdu and the Umbilical Cord:[...]
Why does the hill district of Shimla, home to a mere 8 lakh people, have at least 10-15 different languages? Why does Indonesia have 250 languages, and the strangest of them all - Papua New Guinea, an island nation, to this very day, has over one thousand spoken languages? Why did these rather disparate places[...]
In the early 19th century, the Maharaja of Travancore levied an absolutely bizzare tax: Any woman who had come of age and had breasts had to pay a breast tax, and bare her breasts to anyone who was of a higher caste to them. This was one amongst the hundreds of taxes the lower castes[...]
In 2018, a research study by the University of Michigan and World Bank found that women who are native speakers of certain kind of languages have a lower labour force participation rate and lower educational attainment. How did our Indian languages fare? This week, in the fifth episode of the series, India's Linguistic Heritage, we[...]
"In 12th century Delhi, a new language began to emerge, which was initially known as Dehlavi. Parallelly, the political landscape of India changed, with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and the arrival of the Mughals. With them came Persian, and quickly established itself as the language of power. Over time, a new language emerged,[...]
"In 2008, a quasi political organisation asked for the removal of an academic paper from the syllabus of Delhi University. They eventually succeeded in 2011. But what was in that paper that had 'hurt' sentiments? This week, in the second episode of India's linguistic heritage, and on the occasion of Diwali, we dive into a[...]
In the summer of 1420, following a strange series of events, the migration of a community of people started from a border town between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, to a village in Karnataka. The village eventually came to have a unique claim to fame: It became known as India's Sanskrit village, where every resident spoke[...]
A customs inspection at the Switzerland Italy Border, murders in the Tibetan highlands and a weaving workshop in Srinagar - Kashmir. What connects these disparate places? This week, in the tenth episode of Kashmir Diaries, Utsav brings to you the wild story of Shahtoosh, the most expensive fabric in the world, and completely illegal. Straddling[...]
"In 1948, as India was fighting Pakistan in Kashmir, the Pakistani army reached this village but bypassed it completely. Simply because hidden behind a gorge, with just one access point, the village was invisible to them. Legend has it that when the army of a neighbouring kingdom tried to invade the village, they were greeted[...]
In the narrative of Kashmir, what often lies forgotten is the origin story. What could a Naga king who ruled thousands of years ago, have in common with a humble Gujjar-Bakrwal man, and what did they have to do with the origin of Kashmir? This week, in the eighth episode of Kashmir Diaries, Utsav narrates[...]
What started out 600 years ago in Persia (present day Iran) thrived to become the crown jewel of the Kashmiri arts. However, the art of Kashmiri carpet weaving is now vanishing, on the brink of extinction. This week, in the seventh episode of Kashmir Diaries, we meet Rafiq Ahmed Shah, a 73 year old, fourth[...]
About 100,000 years ago, a mutation in a family of deers gave rise to 3 distinct sub-species which came to be known by the geographical regions they travelled to - Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Xinjiang in China and Kashmir in India. But what does that deer have to do with the Kashmiri people? This week, in[...]
In 1960, the Indian Archeaologist T N Khazanchi, in a painstaking excavation spanning 11 years, discovered proof of 4 distinct human cultures beginning from the Aceramic Neolithic to the Historical era, which meant that the Kashmir Valley had been inhabited for at least 11,000 years. In the excavation, they also found a stone carving, which[...]
In the Indo-Pak War of 1971, as the two countries fought bitterly, the fate of a few people change irrevocably - Overnight, they found themselves to be citizens of a new nation. This week, in the fourth episode of The Kashmir Diaries, Utsav takes you to Kargil, which overnight became a household name thanks to[...]
100 Episodes - A reason to celebrate, a reason to reflect. This week, we don’t have a postcard, but a long conversation about travel. Utsav speaks with Chuck, the host of Getting Meta, about slow travel, the evolution of Postcards from Nowhere, and what drives him to travel in the first place. This conversation is[...]
They form 12% of the population of J & K, and yet their story is missing from the larger discourse of Kashmir. The Gujjar-Bakarwals are the nomadic pastoralists who migrated from Rajasthan in the 6th Century, and continue to live off the land. This week, in the third episode of the Kashmir Diaries, we delve[...]
Two systems of writing time developed independently: One in Kashmir, and the other in Kerala. But they developed in completely different cultural milieus. And its all connected to the parking lot of Maulana Azad Medical college in Delhi. This week, in the second episode of The Kashmir Diaries, we delve into the art of Persian[...]
What could be common between the towns in the Isfahan province of Iran, and the city of Srinagar in Kashmir? And how could they show us two ends of the same spectrum? This week, starting a new series, The Kashmir Diaries, we travel to Srinagar and meet the last craftsman of a dying art -[...]
In a corner of northwestern United States, live a group of Native American people known as the Navajo, who in their language has no word for religion or art. But they have a very unique philosophy which encompasses both - Hózhó. This week, join me in understanding the life philosophy of the Navajo people, and[...]
In 1845, a young student at the University of Oxford wrote a poem that led him to win the Newdigate Prize. His poem was about a place he never visited. 130 years later, a nurse from New Zealand traveling through this very place, fell in love with a man, married, and started living with him[...]
In the arid desert landscapes of Jordan, amongst the Balga tribe of Bedouins, is the famous story of the Ibn Khaltan, a man known all over for his incredible generosity, bordering on madness. This week, in the fourth episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to Little Petra in Jordan, and understand the intimate aspects[...]
What could a statue of an Islamic ruler in the Umayyad dynasty near Jordan have in common with Ashoka Pillar in Sarnath India? How does Jordan, a country with a 95% Islamic population, have aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism in its architecture. This week, in the third episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to[...]
These structures are found all over the world right from Europe all the way to South Korea. They are seen in India too, 2,200 of them, but I can assure you that none of you have seen it. This week, in the second episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to one such structure in[...]
What could the iconic cartoon character Tintin possibly have in common with a marine biologist which kickstarted the global environmental movement. And what could both of them possibly have to do with a small nation in West Asia? This week, starting a new series, Beneath the Veneer, we travel to the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan,[...]
It's been the site of a war, it has a connection to Mount Everest and a very very old connection to the human race. This week, in the seventh episode of Exploring your backyard, we visit the well known Lalbagh botanical gardens in Bangalore. This is the story of how well known but little understood[...]
A German Jew fleeing Nazi Germany. A temple buried and lost to the vagaries of time. A steamboat journey on the Mediterranean sea. This week, in the sixth episode of Exploring your backyard, we visit Malleshwaram, and how unlikely events and forces came together to establish this suburb. And how the city became home to[...]
What connects the Thai Forest Tradition of Buddhism to the neighbourhood of Ulsoor in Bangalore? (No, its not a Buddhist monastery!). It is in fact a tree whose fruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the state fruit of Karnataka. This week, in the fifth episode of Exploring your backyard, we[...]
In 1792, the British departed from Srirangapatna near Mysore to Bangalore for a rather strange reason - To escape the mosquitos. But that wasnt the only deadly thing that shaped the future of Bangalore. This week, in the fourth episode of Exploring your backyard, we turn our eye towards Bengaluru, and how pandemics came to[...]
"Cotton Green, the forgotten, nondescript station on the Harbour line of the Bombay suburban train network. But once, this area was the beating heat of Bombay. This week, in the third episode of Exploring your backyard, we take you to the story of the meteoric rise of Bombay, which had wide ranging causes, right from[...]
You can't have been to Mumbai and not been to Colaba. The ultimate tourist hotspot, with colonial architecture and the bullet riddled walls of Cafe Leopold. This week, in the second episode of Exploring your Backyard, we take you to two silent spectators of Colaba, which are barely even noticed even by those who live[...]
For the outsider, Mumbai means Marine Drive and South Bombay. For anyone who has lived long enough in the city, they know that Dadar is the heart of the city which beats endlessly. This week, starting a new series, Exploring your Backyard, we tell you how this iconic neighbourhood has shaped the country in ways[...]
A pandemic which killed an estimated 2 to 6.4% of India's population, and became one of the only decades where our population actually declined. It's largely forgotten today. What did the 1918 Pandemic have to do with Jim Corbett and the leopards of Kumaon? What does it have to do with the home grown FMCG[...]
The American Army fighting the war in Vietnam never took it seriously. They never estimated the extent to which these tunnels existed, for they seemed outside the scope of the American imagination. And yet, these impossible tunnels were very much a reality. This week, in the fifth episode of Dark Tourism, we take you to[...]
They number in hundreds, if not thousands and they are the best kept secret of the Balkan countries, right from Slovenia to Macedonia. However, the world has come to see them very differently, thanks to the colonial gaze that has been upon them. This week, in the fourth episode of Dark Tourism, we take you[...]
A city finds itself at the centre of the world's attention twice in a span of ten years, but for completely opposite reasons. In 1984, it became the first Balkan country to host the Winter Olympics. In 1992, it was home to the first televised war in human history. This week, in the third episode[...]
What would you do if you were forced to pick up a gun at a tender age of 10? And fight numerous wars for the next ten years, without ever having any choice? This isn't fiction, but the story of countless youth from Cambodia who grew up in the 70's. This week, in the second[...]
Since 1993, the Kazimierz district in Kraków, Poland has seen a huge influx of tourists, thanks to the film Schindler's List, an uplifting story of how the Schindlers saved a thousand mostly Polish German refugees from the Holocaust. The phenomenon is not unique. Starting a new series, Dark Tourism, we explore why are we so[...]
On January 23, 1960, at a little after one in the afternoon, two men seated on small stainless steel boxes inside a forged steel-alloy cabin, settled gently onto a patch of ivory-coloured silt on the floor of the Mariana trench. At a depth of 35,800 feet, they had achieved every explorers dream. But what has[...]
What does Venice, a floating city with an algae problem and Finland, a country battling climate change have in common? And what could it possibly have to do with stamps? This week, in the fifth episode of Currencies and Stamps, we explore the intersection of stamps and climate change, and how are countries are bringing[...]
Why would the sleepy Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan decide to suddenly issue talking stamps? Or the tiny West African nation of Burkina Faso issue stamps featuring the American singer and musician Elvis Presley? In fact, these were not frivolous pursuits by deluded monarchs or a tin pot dictator but were well thought out strategies. This[...]
What happens when a British civilian administrator in the Indian government, a graduate in math and physics from Cambridge, on a fatal mission to organize a guerrilla network against the Japanese disappears? And what does that have to do with currencies? This week, in the second episode of Currencies and Stamps, crisscrossing Britain, Japan, Burma[...]
What does the Oscar winning iconic director Stanley Kubrick have in common with a Chess grandmaster? And what does it have to do with banknotes of Armenia? This week, in the second episode of Currencies and Stamps, we travel all the way to Armenia and uncover how banknotes can be used to trace the cultural[...]
What could Marie Curie, a two time Nobel Prize winner and the famous poet Jane Austen possibly have in common? And what does that have to do with banknotes, an everyday object we scarcely pay any attention to? This week, starting a new series, Currencies and Stamps, we travel from the WW 1 trenches in[...]
Erling Kagge, is no ordinary man. In 1992, skiing and walking 1300 kilometres, over 52 days, he reached the South Pole. Alone. A few hundred miles away, there is a waterfall known as the Blood Falls, after the red water which constantly flows out of its parent glacier. But what do Earling and the Blood[...]
Deep into South America, lies a place which is considered barren and inhospitable. And for good reason - how can life flourish in a place which has less than 15 mm of rainfall every year. But its barrenness is its advantage, for it houses some of the most elite and far ranging scientific pursuits known[...]
Extreme temperatures, check. The harsh desert climate, check. One place is an arctic desert in the northernmost part on our planet, the other a hot desert country plagued by a brutal, seemingly unending civil war. Svalbard is a unique lonely place - you cannot be born, die or be buried there. Less than 10% of[...]
What do the father of the nuclear age, the Italian American physicist Enrico Fermi and a young European traveller by the name of Mubarak Bin London have in common? And why would it lead you to one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible places on earth, a place which Fermi hadn't ever set foot in?[...]
58 degree celsius, 100% humidity and pitch dark. This is not Mars, but somewhere on our very own planet. While 2020 killed all our travel plans, I am sure even that would not make you go here. But there was a Spanish man who was waiting for the moment he could visit this place. A[...]
In the 1928 and 1968 Olympics, Mexico participated in the marathon and failed to get a podium finish. The runners, who came in with a great reputation and a mystic halo around them felt that the 26-mile race was too short. In fact, in 1928, they had to be stopped to tell them that the[...]
Black Holes - Those enigmas of the universe we all have conceptually heard of but don't really understand. Taking a break from regular episodes, here comes a 2020 year-ender reflecting on a strange year gone by. This week, join Utsav as he asks us to relook at 2020 in a completely new light, much like[...]
In 2016, deep into the heartland of Ethiopia, a herder by the name of Ali Bereino, chanced upon a bone in the goat pen in his backyard. It took an archeologist to determine the significance of Ali's find. In many ways, it was literally the bone the world was waiting for. In the fourth episode[...]
What if I put a bunch of children from varied countries, from Mexico to Vietnam, in a room. What if I told you that they may eventually develop a common language to communicate? Across the world, there are societies which have independently developed a whistling language: they chat, flirt and hunt through whistling! In the[...]
What does the 80's blockbuster film - The Karate Kid, a 17th century poem by an English poet have in common with the people who live for over a 100 years? And what if there are multiple communities of people, right from North America to Asia who live for a century? In the second episode[...]
In a letter dated 14 May 1728, a Dutch East India company official writes to the Governor-General about a group of people camping out in the ocean off the coast of Indonesia. Two hundred years later, marine biologist suggests a theory of our evolution which gets dismissed by the scientific fraternity. So what do these[...]
We've all heard the story - Put a frog in boiling water and it will jump out. Put it in cold water, bring it to a boil and the frog will be toasted to death. In times where the impact and advancement of climate change are not disputable, why are we acting like frogs? Why[...]
For a declining Native American tribe, it's a symbol of future abundance and health. For a whole host of scientists and conservationists, it's a horror story unfolding over the last few decades. Their annual migration is known to be one of the most beautiful in the world. But it's under significant threat. In the penultimate[...]
What does an Icelandic composer, a Belarusian author and a Nobel Laureate have in common to do with the Chernobyl disaster? And why are we talking about Chernobyl 34 years after the disaster, and over a year after the world was swept up in the frenzy of the HBO show? In the sixth episode of[...]
10th April 1815: On a remote Indonesian island, a volcano, Mt Tambora, erupted. It was no ordinary eruption - largest in recorded human history and the largest of the Holocene (10,000 years ago to present). It ended up having an enormous impact on the climate of the world. But it also impacted writers, artists and[...]
In 1993, Dario Camuffo and Giovanni Sturaro started looking at the paintings of two 18th century landscape artists from Italy. However, Camuffo and Sturaro weren't art critics or artists themselves, they were climate scientists. And their interest was purely scientific. But what exactly was it that interested them in the paintings of Venice? In the[...]
In January 2019, the city of Cremona in Italy went silent for 5 weeks, for a rather unique reason. But for that, we need to go back over 300 years, to follow the work of a man who created some of the most prized violins in human history - The Stradivarius, the most expensive one[...]
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, a wrestler from Kiribati celebrated his performance. But he had not won a medal. In the same year, another man from Kiribati filed a case against the New Zealand government at the UN Human rights council. What do these two men, from the tiny island nation of Kiribati have in[...]
What happens when an action from 100 years ago has a profound, unimaginable impact today? How does a sea the size of Himachal Pradesh or the entirety of Croatia simply disappear? If this sounds like science fiction, this week, Utsav takes you to Karakalpakastan, an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, which is a glimpse of the[...]
In 1840, a Scottish man, David Livingstone arrived in Africa at the age of 27, and went on to become the greatest explorers of the continent, discovering the Victoria falls in current day Zimbabwe. However, his naming of the Victoria falls was only a precursor to what the continent had to see in the coming[...]
How often have you waited to take a trip, and it does not happen? For the last 5 years, Utsav had been wanting to see Gurudongmar lake in North Sikkim. Just before the pandemic hit, he made his second attempt - but was he successful. This week, tune in, as Utsav documents his struggle to[...]
And here we are! After sending 50 Postcards from Nowhere, this week, we take a break from our usual storytelling to have 3 adults (or are we) talk about travel. We have Ayushi and Rytasha from Agla Station Adulthood on the show! In this episode - Utsav talks about his foray into travel, the genesis[...]
Recently, neuropsychologists have uncovered a link between the chili pepper and risk-taking. But what does history tell us? And how does a plant native to South America find itself as the defining element of the cultural identity of Sichuan? This week, on the last episode of China Unseen, I bring to you the fascinating story[...]
What connects the Matt Damon film - The Martian, A restauranter in Beijing and a lady who signs peans to a vegetable? Turns out, its the potato. From the most humble of vegetables, comes the story of China's sweeping ambition to change the food practices of a country which has grown addicted to meat. From[...]
The enemy of marriage is time,” she said, smiling. By the eighth year, the honeymoon period had long given way to “the salt and vinegar of daily life.” “Even the tongue and teeth occasionally get in each other’s way,” Imagine saying this not to a marriage counselor, but to a man who goes by the[...]
Imagine going home over a holiday, but dreading the whole experience. All because your parents will ask about the lack of your love life i.e. your boyfriend/girlfriend. However, the young Chinese people have come up with an ingenious way of solving the problem. In the seventh episode of China Unseen, Utsav brings to you a[...]
China came out of the Cultural Revolution and rose to become an economic powerhouse. A starving country in the past today is not only self-sufficient with food, but also is a major exporter. However, the prosperity has come with its challenges. In the sixth episode of China Unseen, Utsav breaks down China's relationship with food,[...]
China has made tremendous progress in lifting the country out of poverty, The Communist Party takes pride in enabling this and boasts of how many choices the Chinese have today. However, it parallelly bans and actively prosecutes people from a religious order, which combines meditation and slow-motion exercises, very much in line with Taoist principles.[...]
In the late ’60s and ‘70s, anticipating the devastation of a Cold War-nuclear fallout, Chairman Mao directed Chinese cities to construct apartments with bomb shelters capable of withstanding the blast of a nuclear bomb. In Beijing alone, roughly 10,000 bunkers were promptly constructed. But what has become of those bunkers today? In the fourth episode[...]
Between 2011 - 13, China used up more cement to build cities than the United States used in the entire 20th century. The new cities became so prevalent that a moniker was assigned to them - Ghost cities because no one really lived there. But what happens to a ghost city many years later? In[...]
In People's Park in central Shanghai, every Sunday afternoon, a congregation of old people shows up religiously, week after week. These are not people enjoying their retirement, they are on a mission. A mission which gives them anxiety, sours their relationship with their kids, and often remains unfulfilled. In continuation of the series China Unseen,[...]
An absurd, deeply flawed notion left close to 600 million sparrows dead in China in the late 1950's. But it was only amongst the many missteps which came to define the People's Republic of China. In the new series - China Unseen, join Utsav as he draws upon his experiences of living in the country,[...]
An iceberg, theoretical physics and an expressionist painting. What could these three unlikely bedfellows have in common, that too spread over two centuries? This week, join Utsav as he takes you to Havana, Buenos Aires and Paris, and brings to light how the gift of hindsight we have today is the curse of foresight from[...]
In 1980, Rick Ridgeway, the first American to summit the K2, attempted to climb a high mountain in China. He failed. 19 years later, he returned with a young 20 year girl, but the purpose was changed. It was a pilgrimage of sorts. What eventually decided the fate of this pilgrimage was the same thing[...]
From the Indian mathematician Bhāskara II to the Italian inventor Da Vinci, this enigma confounded intellectuals for seven centuries. In a casual museum visit to Florence, he also understood a lesser fascinating enigma - the actual use of the divider! (yes, the one in your geometry box).This week, join Utsav as he uncovers a timeless[...]
What is a war doing in a travel podcast? And that too a war that has never ended? We don't really know when it began, but we know for sure it has never ended. It's so every day that we don't (or choose not to) see it. A realization that began in walk in Naples[...]
In late 2018, archaeologists working at the Pompeii site discovered Grafitti which recalibrated the events around the explosion of Mount Vesuvis. The graffiti itself was emblematic of an intensely Italian passion - Food. This week, traveling in time, Utsav connects the dots in the city of Naples, spanning the deadly LTTE, Ernest Hemingway, Italy's most[...]
On 20th May 1747, a doctor aboard HMS Salisbury did something that changed the course of Italian history. But all he did was give lemons and oranges to the sailors. What could that have to do with the Sicilian Mafia, and what lessons do they hold for us travellers? This week, Utsav takes you through[...]
In 1946, post the defeat of Germany in World War II, the psychoanalyst Carl Jung coined a word which turned into a national emotion. Travelling through Armenia and speaking to young and old alike took me back to Turkey. Specifically, Gezi Park in Taksim Square, Istanbul. But how are Germany, Turkey and Armenia connected? This[...]
Tiblisi, the capital of Georgia is one of the few places in the world where the Sunni and Shia Muslims pray together in the same mosque. Armenia is a country with the highest per capita chess grandmasters in the world. But how are these two facts connected? This week, walk with Utsav and understand why[...]
There is a room on the 2nd Floor of the Palazzo Vecchio, the civic palace of Florence. The room, known as Sala delle Carte Geografiche, fits the entire world. The artifacts in this room belong to the 16th century, and yet they reveal our world today in myraid ways. This week, Utsav talks about the[...]
Through Airbnb, Utsav ended up booking a place in a dangerous neighbourhood of northern Paris. But what we were not prepared for was our Airbnb host, who was unlike anyone we had met before. In a Covid world, it seems that we have already lived the last of our good times? Or maybe not? This[...]
The iconic American stand up comic George Carlin once made a strong case of worshipping the sun, as it is indeed omnipresent! But it was only during a trip to Rome did I realise how the sun and sunlight have indelibly influenced architecture. This week, Utsav talks about how both Europe and Asia have used[...]
For 40 years, the Duomo or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, sat fully constructed barring a dome. The Florentines had become so embarrassed by their failure to complete the dome announced a contest for the ideal dome design, with a handsome prize of 200 gold florins—and a shot at eternal fame. Leading[...]
In Paris, lies the Père Lachaise Cemetery, where you find the remains of a woman and two men. The Cemetery of the East, is the final resting ground of people from all walks of life in France. And yet, these three stand out. Away from crowds at the Eiffel, away from all the glitz and[...]
Kanta Prasad is 64, but his childhood memories are vivid. If he ever discovered that an animal is going to be slaughtered nearby, he would run holding a wide-mouthed container to collect the blood, the intestines and the offal, all parts that the upper castes discarded. The rakti, coagulated blood, was and still is a[...]
Near the end of the 18th and final of her pregnancies, Hiranmayi Ghatak, became a widow. Her body had withstood a whirlwind of miscarriages and stillbirths, which resulted in a total of eight living children by the time she was 37. For the rest of her life, much like countless women before her, she was[...]
If there is one beverage which our country unabashedly loves, its Chai. We cannot imagine an India without Chai, and yet what you may not know is that Chai is less than 2 centuries old in India. This week, Utsav narrates the fascinating story of how chai became a part of our DNA and reflects[...]
In 1922, fed up of his family squabbles, K Krishna Rao, left his home in Udupi, Southern Karnataka and moved to Chennai to work as an attendant at a restaurant. He eventually moved up and gave rise to a whole subculture of Indian food - Udupi restaurants. This week, Utsav talks about a success story[...]
If you've been a fan of Bengali food like I've been, you may be surprised to know that there exists a whole other kind of Bengali food you may not have even heard of. It's a friendly food rivalry known to all Bengalis but it is a story of how our climatic conditions, geography and[...]
What can the cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur teach us about Indian food, and the religious and caste underpinnings of it? In this episode, Utsav revisits a scene in the film, and talks about how we need to introspect and evaluate if we are unknowingly practicing discrimination, not only abroad, but more importantly at home.[...]
We all love Indian food and swear by it. A few weeks abroad is all it takes for a desi food craving to kick in. However, there is a dark aspect about our food which we all know, but seldom talk about. We see it everyday, but have chosen to ignore it. Join Utsav as[...]
You have eaten this snack, guaranteed. But in all probability, you have no idea that it is the world's more popular snack. Traversing countries, religions and centuries, this humble snack is loved all over the world. Dive in for a fascinating food story, a trip in nostalgia land and an immersive travel experience. You can[...]
You have eaten this snack, guaranteed. But in all probability, you have no idea that it's the world's more popular snack. Traversing countries, religions and centuries, this humble snack is loved all over the world. Dive into this episode where host Utsav will narrate a fascinating food story, a trip in nostalgia land and an[...]
During his time in Uzbekistan, Utsav decided to rough it out and travel in a second class compartment on a 17 hour train journey. What he wasn’t prepared for was his interaction with the locals. Not with one or two, but an entire compartment, all wanting to talk at once? Join him in this two[...]
On a random stroll in the streets of Bukhara, Uzbekistan Utsav overheard a conversation about doors. Yes, the humble home door. What secrets could the design of a simple door hide? And what if that secret can be found in India as well? Tune in to the episode, as Utsav decode the secrets of culture[...]
Van Gogh and Uzbekistan didn't exist in each others' time but yet what connected them was the love for the colour blue. Tune in to the episode to know how the colour blue holds immense meaning to the people of Uzbekistan, and how it is present all across Islamic architecture. You can follow Utsav on[...]
What connects the famous traveller Ibn Battuta in the 14th century, the Mughal Emperor Babur in the 18th century, and your poor podcast host Utsav in the 21st century? A fruit! And not just any fruit, the absolute pinnacle of agricultural glory. In Episode 14, he goes deep into the experience of eating a Melon[...]
How often have you turned up at a place and found yourself in awe of its beauty? We often associate beauty with talent, ingenuity and brilliance. Arriving in the historic city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Utsav stumbled upon the surprising simplicity of beauty and the unsung hero of all human achievement. Tune in to Epsiode[...]
On a long walk in the Himalayas, Utsav met with an 80 year old monk who was learning to drive a Jeep. If you are wondering why would a man, who is devoid of worldly desires, was learning to drive, tune in to the Episode 12, where we listen to the monk who gives a[...]
Everyone wants to be happy in their lives but sometimes the endless search for happiness leave us unsatisfied. This week on Postcards from Nowhere, Utsav talks about happiness vs. satisfaction, and what is common between Nobel Prize winning economist, Daniel Kahneman and Dolma Aunty, the amazing caretaker of the cottage where he spent a month[...]
As Utsav set out to solo travel for 3 months to Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, and Georgia, he constantly questions about safety and his ability to survive in remote places. Indeed, as the world becomes more xenophobic, narrow minded and inward-looking, it may come across as a pertinent question. Tune in to episode 10, where[...]
In the spring of 1790, a 29-year-old Frenchman wrote the weirdest travelogue one could ever imagine. He was so pleased with his writings, that he went on to write another one in 1798, which was no less weird. He pioneered an ingenious way to travel everyday, which should have made him world-famous. Now you may[...]
How many times have you encountered large groups of Chinese tourists, who literally take over a place and kill it for others? We all feel annoyed with them, and Utsav was no different till he ended up living in Shanghai, China for 6 months. This week, he talks about the slow realisation of why the[...]
How do you travel and live in a city for Free? Yes, not Cheap but Free. In Shanghai, Utsav decided to try out Couchsurfing. He started out a social experiment lasting 6 months where he hosted close to 40 people, eventually became a way to reaffirm his faith in humanity. Tune in to episode 7 to[...]
A casual meandering around the Tea Gardens in Munnar, Kerala led Utsav to a Kalaripayattu performance. What was meant to be a cultural immersion turned out to be an experience which helped him untie mental knots? Tune in to Episode 6, to understand what is kalaripayattu and how this ancient martial art form could provide[...]
How many times have you been to an art gallery and found it utterly boring? How many times have you left a gallery in haste promising never to bore yourself with art again? This week on Postcards from Nowhere, Utsav talks about a new perspective on art and to ensure that art doesn't have to[...]
This week on Postcards from Nowhere, Utsav talks about why it is ok not to travel solo, even though it is recommended by everyone. He investigates it from a lens of anthropology and behavioural science, and draws upon his decade long experience of travelling solo. He also talks about the closeted realities of solo travel,[...]
In a very 'Zindagi na Milegi Dobara' style, Utsav and his friends ended up a two week trip to Turkey where they realized different ideas about traveling. This week, host Utsav talks about how we can make our trip one of the most memorable and fun experience. They also share tips and tricks to understand[...]
A month alone spent in a one-room cottage in the Himalayas sounds like an ideal way to unwind and relax. This week, host Utsav Mamoria talks about his trip to Hampta where he stayed with the 70-year-old cottage caretaker Dolma Aunty and her dog Rambo which gave him a guiding philosophy of life, an idea[...]
"In the most reviled parts of Bombay, living in the butt of a joke - Sakinaka, I decided to take a walk from my home to the Sakinaka junction. Only to discover that it is called Dr. Datta Samant Chowk." - Utsav Mamoria In June 2018, Utsav Mamoria took a 3-month sabbatical from his full-time[...]
Postcards from Nowhere is a travel podcast that takes you on journeys exploring culture, history, food and people in the form of stories. With over a decade of travel stories in his kitty, Utsav Mamoria narrates the stories of the strange, obscure and fascinating things about the world, often interspersed with practical tips and deep[...]
Postcards from Nowhere is a travel podcast that takes you on journeys exploring culture, history, food and people in the form of stories. With over a decade of travel stories in his kitty, Utsav Mamoria narrates the stories of the strange, obscure and fascinating things about the world, often interspersed with practical tips and deep realizations, which would shape the way you travel. Tune in to the new episode every Thursday.
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All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are directy attributed to IVM Podcasts or their podcast platform partner. If you believe your copyrighted work is in use without your permission, you can follow our process outlined here. See terms of use.
