A Book A Day: Recent Episodes
Kalampedia
Every day, I pick at least one new book, read what it has to offer, make notes and share the best ideas with you.
Sounds fun, right? Join me in this journey and explore a whole new world of books and stories.
For any suggestions/queries please contact us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com or visit Kalampedia.org on your browser.
The Tao Te Ching (or Daodejing) is a foundational ancient Chinese classic text of philosophical and religious Taoism, traditionally attributed to the sage Lao Tzu. In this series, I am narrating as well as interpreting this great source of wisdom which continues to enlighten us till this day.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
The Tao Te Ching (or Daodejing) is a foundational ancient Chinese classic text of philosophical and religious Taoism, traditionally attributed to the sage Lao Tzu. In this series, I am narrating as well as interpreting this great source of wisdom which continues to enlighten us till this day.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In this episode, I discuss Letters to a Young Poet. It is a collection of ten letters written by the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke to Franz Xaver Kappus, a 19-year-old military cadet, between 1903 and 1908. The book offers profound advice on writing, solitude, love, and the nature of life, becoming a source of inspiration for artists and writers.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In the second part of our discussion on Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I examine the second section of the book, Soul and Body. In this part we explore how modern science has changed the age-old duality of soul and body, and how that affects our understanding of human relationships.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In the first part of our discussion on Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I examine the opening section of the book, Lightness and Weight. In this part Kundera reworks Nietzsche’s idea of eternal recurrence into a meditation on whether life is meaningful as heavy burden or fleeting lightness.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety is a book about an almost universal anxiety that rarely gets mentioned directly: an anxiety about what others think of us. In this episode I discuss the second part of this book, which is about the solutions to heal and overcome our status anxiety.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety is a book about an almost universal anxiety that rarely gets mentioned directly: an anxiety about what others think of us. In this episode I discuss the first part of this book, which is about the causes behind our status anxiety.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In the fifth volume of In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust describes the emotion of jealousy. Marcel, the narrator, is living with Albertine in his family’s Paris apartment. This is the only time in the whole novel where he has her so close, under his roof, and yet instead of bringing him peace it becomes the most suffocating period of jealousy. I narrate some of the passages from the book with some interesting insights.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
To conclude our theme on nature writing, today I have got a book with literally this title. It's called Nature Writing, written by Richard Herley. Although not very popular, this book has got a beautiful prose with insightful observations which take you close to English countryside and its flora and fauna.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Today, once again, I discuss another lovely book on nature. It's called The Spell of the Sensuous, written by David Abram. In this book David Abram draws on sources as diverse as the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as an accomplished sleight-of-hand of magician to reveal the subtle dependence of human cognition on the natural environment. This major work of ecological philosophy startles the senses out of habitual ways of perception and brings us back to our true nature.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is a book-length essay, first published anonymously in 1836. In this work, Emerson reflects on the beauty and power of nature and argues that it can serve as a source of inspiration and enlightenment for individuals. He encourages readers to look beyond the surface of nature and appreciate its underlying spiritual essence. I discuss these ideas from the book in today's episode.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Continuing this week's theme of books on nature, I discuss Ruskin Bond's The Book of Nature in today's episode. Ruskin Bond has celebrated the wonder and beauty of nature as few other contemporary writers have, or indeed can. This particular book brings together the best of his writing on the natural world, not just in the Himalayan foothills that he has made his home, but also in the cities and small towns that he lived in or travelled through as a young man.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Do plants have intelligence? Do they have memory? Are they better problem solvers than people? In his book The Revolutionary Genius of Plants, Stefano Mancuso reveals the surprisingly sophisticated ability of plants to innovate, to remember, and to learn, offering us creative solutions to the most vexing technological and ecological problems that face us today. Let's talk about this book in this episode.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
The Tyranny of Pop is an essay by English philosopher Roger Scruton, which criticises the pervasive presence and perceived banality of pop music in public spaces and modern life. In this episode, I narrate the essay.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
For today's episode I've picked a really interesting book. It's called The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time. As the name gives it away, there are love letters written by some of the most inspiring men and women of the past. Let me read some of them for you.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In the third part of our discussion on the book Himalaya: Adventures, Meditations, Life, I discuss the final section of the book which talks about the life in the Himalayas.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Continuing our discussions on the book Himalaya: Adventures, Meditations, Life, today I discuss some of the spiritual and religious writings on the Himalayas. Stay tuned for more bookish chats.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Let me take you on a journey through the Himalayas. In the next three episodes, we will explore the adventures, spiritual lessons, and life experiences as shared by some of the greatest writers and travellers of the past. I am taking help of the book titled Himalaya: Adventures, Meditations, Life.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Today I pick this book called 100 Great Indian Poems. It features, of course, 100 poems from different Indian languages, translated into English. Some of these poems go all the way back into the ancient India, whereas others are from medieval as well as modern times. In this episode, I recite some of my favourite poems from the book.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Today, I am discussing Alan Watt's brilliant book titled The Wisdom of Insecurity. The book breaks down our psychological need for stability and explains how it's led us right into consumerism, why that won't solve our problem and how we can really calm our anxiety.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In today's episode, I talk about CS Lewis's short but powerful book: A Grief Observed. Lewis wrote it after the death of his wife, Joy Davidman, in 1960. The book can be a perfect companion if you're experiencing the struggles of grief in your life.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In today's episode, I talk about Junichiro Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows. It is a really short book but it's a beautiful meditation on traditional Japanese aesthetics and how it's rooted in the underlying philosophy of its culture.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In his book The Art of the Novel, Milan Kundera explains the history of the novel as an art form. In today's episode, I pick one essay from this book which talks about the death of the novel as an art form.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
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In this episode, I narrate one of my short stories. It's called Hills Like White Elephants, and it was first published in Ernest Hemingway's 1927 short story collection Men Without Women.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
Continuing our discussion on the book Art as Therapy, I discuss the chapter on love. It talks about how art can help us become better lovers.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
booktube #booktok #bookpodcast #indianpodcast #indianbookpodcast #indianliterarypodcast #literarypodcast
In this episode, I discuss the book Art as Therapy which talks about using art as a form of therapy for our emotional struggles.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Today, I pick a short book called Walking Meditation: Easy Steps to Mindfulness. It is written by Nguyen Anh-Huong and Thich Nhat Hanh. With the help of this book and exercises prescribed in it, I share a guided walking meditation with you. Listen to this episode and practice a slow walk while you listen.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
In this episode, I narrate a brilliant short story called Jackals and Arabs. It was written by Franz Kafka over a hundred years ago.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
From Salman Rushdie's book titled Languages of Truth, I pick one essay and share it with you. Is novel autobiographical? Does the author merely reproduce his experiences in a novel? Or is there something more to it. Salman Rushdie answers these questions in this essay.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, like, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
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Continuing our discussion on K Hari Kumar's book Naaga: Discovering the Extraordinary World of Serpent Worship, I narrate some of the folktales from different parts of India that examplify the age-old between humans and serpents in this culture.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
In this episode, I take you to the mystical world of serpents with the help of a recently published book, Naaga: Discovering the Extraordinary World of Serpent Worship.
About A Book A Day podcast: This podcast is hosted by author Deepak Rana, coming to you from the serene heights of the Himalayas. Every episode brings you powerful ideas, timeless wisdom, and life-changing stories—one book at a time.
📚 Whether you're seeking healing, inspiration, or just a good read, there's something here for every curious mind.
🔗 Visit Kalampedia for more book-based resources, bibliotherapy insights, and literary deep dives.
📩 For feedback, suggestions, or collaborations, write to us at contactkalampedia@gmail.com
📍Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the podcast with fellow booklovers.
▶️ Watch our episodes on YouTube.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
In this episode, I discuss a couple of chapters from Rakhshanda Jalil's book Love in the Time of Hate. Rakhshanda Jalil is one of India’s most respected literary voices—an accomplished writer, critic, and translator with a deep love for Urdu literature. Her work bridges cultures, languages, and histories, making the richness of Urdu poetry and prose accessible to modern readers.
Thank you for listening. Please like and follow the podcast. If you'd like to support us, kindly visit Kalampedia.
In this episode, I narrate some of the passages from Thich Nhat Hanh's book Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm. Thich Nhat teaches how the practice of mindfulness can help us overcome some of our deepest fears.
Thank you for listening. Please don't forget to like and follow. Join us on Kalampedia to support.
In this episode, I pick Erich Fromm's masterpiece on the subject of love: The Art of Loving. First published in 1956, this book is not a self-help manual on how to find love. It’s something far more radical. Fromm, a psychoanalyst and humanist philosopher, makes us see love as a form of art which we practise instead of seeing as an object which we consume.
Thank you for tuning in. Please like and follow for more discussions on our favourite books. You can visit us on Kalampedia to show your support.
Kahlil Gibran's writings are well known for their lyrical genius and blending an element of mysticism into philosophy. In this episode, I narrate two beautiful prose poems, taken from one of his early collections called The Secrets of the Heart.
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In his book Zen and the Art of Happiness, author Chris Prentiss some simple but profound Zen ideas that can help us find happiness in everyday life. Let's find out more about it.
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While reading Kakuzo Okakura's The Book of Tea, one learns how the philosophy of Chinese Taoism permeated through aesthetics into the tea-ceremonies and how that gave rise to the practice of Zen. It's quite an experience to understand these old philosophical schools, their origins and practice. Let's do that with the help of Okakura's book.
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Once again, I am continuing my reading on tea. The Book of Tea is a classic on the subject, written by Kakuzo Okakura. In this episode, I discuss the history of tea in China and Japan, particularly focusing on another classic called Cha Jing (The Classic of Tea) by Lu Yu.
Thank you for listening. Hope you are enjoying these book reading sessions. Please like and follow to be a part of this podcast. You can also visit us on Kalampedia to support us.
In this episode, I, while sipping a cup of tea, read out a chapter of Kakuzo Okakura's masterpiece The Book of Tea. In this chapter, Kakuzo describes the philosophy of Teaism through the lens of Eastern culture and how it has reached the West.
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In this episode I pick Mani Rao's poetry collection called So That You Know and read out some of my favourite poems from the book.
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How to listen? Thich Nhat Hanh, the great Zen master, has a few suggestions for us. I discuss some of his ideas, as shared in his short book How to Listen. I hope this will be of great value in all your future conversations.
Thank you for... wait for it... listening! Yes, thank you so much for being a good listener, I truly feel grateful. Keep supporting the podcast as well the Kalampedia portal.
9 Pebbles, 9 Ripples is a collection of nine short stories, written by Dr Sweety Shinde. What is unique about this book is that each story captures a unique rasa (emotion/mood) as described in the classical Sanskrit literature. In this episode I narrate a short story from the collection which will take you back to the Covid times in 2020.
Thank you for listening. Please like and subscribe for exploring more stories and books with us. If you would like to support, kindly visit Kalampedia.
In this episode, I discuss some of the bibliotherapy ways which can help you experience reading and writing with the most therapeutic benefits. Once again, I am taking help from Bijal Shah's book Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading.
Thank you very much for listening. Keep liking and following the podcast. If you would like to support more, kindly visit Kalampedia.
Today I am going to discuss a subject that has been really close to my heart: bibliotherapy. With the help of Bijal Shah's book Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, I am going to explore this idea further and explain how reading books can offer a form of therapy.
Thank you for tuning in and listening to the podcast. Don't forget to like and subscribe. You can also support us on Kalampedia.
In the concluding episode of our discussion on the book The Consolations of Philosophy, we discuss Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas on how to deal with difficulties in our life.
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Arthur Schopenhauer was a 19th-century German philosopher whose idea of will-to-life still helps us understand ourselves. In this episode we discuss his philosophical consolations on the matters of romantic love, as described by Alain de Botton in his book The Consolations of Philosophy.
Thank you for listening. If you enjoy the world of literature and ideas, subscribe to the podcast. You can also support us on Kalampedia.
Michel de Montaigne was a French philosopher famous for his Essays. In this episode I discuss some if his ideas, as described in Alain de Botton's book The Consolations of Philosophy, which can help us navigate through our feeling of inadequacy.
By the way, just like that we completed 400 episodes. Truly grateful for each one of you who made it possible.
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We are discussing Alain de Botton's wonderful book The Consolations of Philosophy this week. In today's episode I discuss the consolations on frustrations, based on Seneca's stoic philosophical school of thought.
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Continuing our discussion on Alain de Botton's book The Consolations of Philosophy, I discuss Epicurean ideas today and how it can find consolation if we don't possess enough material wealth.
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Today I have got Alain de Botton's book The Consolations of Philosophy with me and I start with the first consolation in this episode. It is the consolation for unpopularity, explained through the life and teachings of the great Greek philosopher Socrates.
Keep listening to know more about the book and its ideas. Thank you for tuning in. Please like and subscribe and support us on Kalampedia.
In the concluding episode of our discussion on Sam Dalrymple's book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and Making of the Modern Asia, I discuss the 1971 war of India and Pakistan, as a result of which Bangladesh came into existence. This was the fifth and the final partition that took place in the Indian subcontinent.
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Continuing our discussion on Sam Dalrymple's book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia, today we discuss the partition and accession of three important princely states: Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad.
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Continuing our discussion on Sam Dalrymple's book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia, I discuss the most talked-about partition - India and Pakistan.
Thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to like and subscribe. Please support me on Kalampedia.
In this episode, I pick Sam Dalrymple's debut book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia, and discuss the story of India-Burma (now Myanmar) partition.
Keep following the podcast to hear more about the other partitions that shaped the maps of South Asia and gave rise to a number of independent nations.
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In the final episode of our series on this book called Monsoon Feelings, I discuss some of the Bollywood songs and movies that carry the monsoon theme. I hope you've enjoyed listening to this discussion.
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In this episode, continuing our theme of monsoon, I discuss how Mughals celebrated the season of rains and the kind of art they created. The content is based on the book titled Monsoon Feelings.
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Continuing our discussion on this wonderful book Monsoon Feelings, in this episode we explore two ideas: Radhavallabh tradition and Hindi-Urdu Barahamasa poetry. We explore how different religious and cultural traditions in medieval India depicted the monsoon rains.
I hope you enjoyed the episode. Please visit Kalampedia to show us your support! Thank you!
In the ongoing theme of books on monsoon, I pick one of my favourite books called Monsoon Feelings. The book really captures the emotions associated with the monsoon season and how it has been expressed in various art forms in South Asia in the last millennium. In today's episode I focus on the chapter on Persian poetry and its association with the monsoon. Stay tuned to know more about this book as well as more books on monsoon.
In the next few episodes, I will be bringing and sharing some of the finest books on the monsoon season. Starting with Kalidasa's Meghadutam, we are going to explore centuries of literature. Thank you for listening. Keep supporting on Kalampedia.
In this episode, I narrate a few verses from Meera Ganapathi's wonderful new book titled How to Forget: A Book of Short Steps and Long Walks. If you'd like to read more about the book, you can check out my piece here.
We often have this fear in our mind: what if we lose everything? What will we do? Where will we go? Thanks to the 12th century Japanese monk and poet, Kamo No Chomei, we can overcome these fears. Let's meditate on his short but profound work called Hojoki, where he describes his life experiences of living in a ten feet square hut.
In this episode, I narrate a few passages from Marcel Proust's masterpiece In Search of Lost Time. You will notice how beautifully Proust describes a lover's gaze when his partner is sleeping in the bed. It's a writing masterclass, and at the same time, a form of therapy where you simply surrender to the beauty of prose.
In this episode I narrate a beautiful short love story by Haruki Murakami. The title is On Seeing a 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning. Quite a title, isn't it? I hope you will enjoy the story. Thank you for your support. Keep showing your love on kalampedia.org!
In this episode I discuss the most popular Odia short story, which also happens to be the first modern Odia short story. It is called Rebati and it was written by Fakir Mohan Senapati in 1898. But that is not it. I also briefly tell you about some of the other classic Odia stories with the help of a book titled Maguni's Bullock Cart and Other Classic Odia Stories. Thank you so much for listening. Please keep supporting. If you'd like to donate or subscribe to newsletter, please visit us on www.kalampedia.org.
Mini Krishnan has created a series with HarperCollins India where she is collecting classic short stories from various regional languages and with the help of a translator making them accessible to the English readers. This time, we have her collection of Kannada short stories. The book is called A Teashop in Kamalapura and Other Classic Kannada Stories. In this episode we discuss some of these stories. Thank you for listening. You can visit www.kalampedia.org to read more about the book or support us.
In a recently published book titled "The Second Marriage of Kunju Namboodiri and Other Classic Malayalam Short Stories" we get a glimpse into early short stories from Malayalam literature.
In the third and final episode of our discussion on Natasha Lunn's book Conversations on Love, we cover the more difficult part of a relationship. One, how to sustain romance in a long-term relationship, and two, how to deal with the loss if things go wrong. Hope you enjoyed these conversations and got interesting insights on love. Keep supporting on Kalampedia.org and stay tuned for more discussions on books.
In this episode, we analyse the conversation between Natasha Lunn, author of Conversations on Love, and Emily Nagoski, who is a sex educator. The two discuss the neuroscience behind sexual intimacy and how that plays out in long term relationships. Thank you for listening. Do not forget to subscribe if you want to listen to more conversations on book. Visit kalampedia.org to support us.
In her book Conversations on Love, Natasha Lunn explores the complexities of love through insightful discussions with experts. Let’s become a part of these conversations and read more about them, starting with Alain de Botton. In this episode I narrate the conversation between Natasha and De Botton and what we can learn from this exchange. Visit Kalampedia.org to read more.
In this short episode, I narrate a few stanzas from Vikram Seth's Sahitya Akademic award winning book The Golden Gate. Written in Onegin Stanzas, the book is a delight for the lovers of verse and narration. Let's hear a few stanzas.
In this episode I critically read and review Murakami's short story Men Without Women. The book is also titled Men Without Women, and as the title suggests, every story is written around the theme of men losing women's presence in their lives.
In this short episode, I discuss a key learning from Joseph Nguyen's popular book Don't Believe Everything You Think. It is the idea that thinking is different from thoughts and how we can avoid overthinking by focusing on the nature of thoughts. Keep following for more bookish content.
In the second part of our discussion on Francesca Marino's book Balochistan: Bruised, Battered and Bloodied, I share the current challenges faced by the Pakistani state in Balochistan. Whether it's the neocolonislism of China through China Pakistan Economic Corridor or the geopolitical warfare being played out between USA/India and China/Pakistan, there is much to learn here. Where does that leave the people of Balochistan? That is the real question.
In recent times we have witnessed a growing problem of insurgency and demand for a separate state in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. To simplify the conundrum, I take help of Francesca Maloni's book Balochistan: Bruised, Battered and Bloodied. In this episode, I discuss the history of Balochistan problem. Keep following the next episodes to understand the deeper political and military challenges.
In this episode, I discuss the popular self-help book Ikigai. The book explores the idea of finding meaning in life and use that to live a long and healthy life. Thank you for tuning in. Do not forget to subscribe.
In this episode I narrate a story from a beautiful book titled The Other in the Mirror: Stories from India and Pakistan. The book comprises of several short stories, written by Indian and Pakistani writers and tells the tales of partition horrors. I narrate the story called Crossing the Raavi, written by Gulzar. Hope you will like it.
In this episode I narrate another Indian spiritual poem, this time translated from Gujarati. The poem is called Black Bag, and it was written by Pawan Kumar Jain, translated into English by Arvind Krisha Mehrotra.
In the next few episodes, I will narrate a poem from different Indian languages, its English translation, of course. Today's poem is called Ambapali. It was Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari and translated into English by Sunita Jain. Keep following the podcast. Visit www.kalampedia.org to share your feedback or any queries.
In the concluding episode of our Kamasutra series, I discuss the different kinds of congress and some other juicy parts. Keep following us on www.kalampedia.org and share your feedback.
In the Sexual Union segment of the Kamasutra, a lot of emphasis has been given on kissing, scratching, biting, embracing etc with a chapter dedicated to each one of these topics. This is what I discuss in today's podcast. Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and visit www.kalampedia.org to support.
Today we start the most sought after section of The Kamasutra: The Sexual Union. Listen to the types of loves, sexual unions and more in this episode. Thank you for tuning in. Keep following our work at www.kalampedia.org and share your feedback.
In today's episode of our Kamasutra series, I discuss the kind of women described in the Kamasutra. Which women are supposed to be enjoyed and which are prohibited, all this and more, we discuss in this episode. Keep listening to our podcast and visit www.kalampedia.org to share your feedback.
In today's episode of our Kamasutra series, I narrate the chapter which describes the role and duties of a citizen. Let me know what you think of it. Thank you for listening. Visit www.kalampedia.org for more.
In the next chapter of the Kamasutra, the ancient Indian guide to pleasure, we explore the different kinds of arts and games it encourages us to explore. Of course the idea is to seek pleasure in the most balanced and meaningful way. Keep following more about the ancient Indian literature on www.kalampedia.org and do not forget to subscribe. Thank you for listening!
In the next few episodes, I will be narrating and discussing the Kama Sutra. It's an ancient Indian text, written by Vatsyayana, on the art of pleasure. Let's learn more about it. You can also visit www.kalampedia.org and read my recent posts on the subject there. Thank you for listening. Keep following.
In the concluding episode of our Ritusamhara series, I discuss how Kalidasa narrates the beauty of spring season. You can share your feedback on contactkalampedia@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. Keep following!
In the fifth chapter of our Ritusamhara series, we read parts of Kalidasa's poetry where he discusses the chilly and frosty charms of winter. Keep following us on www.kalampedia.org and do not forget to subscribe. Thank you for listening!
In the fourth part of our Ritusamhara (The Garland of Seasons) series, we read more about the poetic genius of Kalidasa. It is the season of early winter and that's precisely what we discuss in this episode. Feel free to share your thoughts on contactkalampedia@gmail.com and help me improve.
In the third chapter of our Ritusamhara series, I discuss Kalidasa's poetic descriptions of autumn. Let me know your thoughts at contactkalampedia@gmail.com. Thank you for tuning in.
In the second episode of this series where I am discussing Kalidasa's Ritusamhara (The Garland of Seasons), I discuss the chapter on rains. You can reach out on contactkalampedia@gmail.com for any feedback, queries etc.
Ritusamhara is Kalidasa's ode to the six major seasons of India. It is an 1500 year old text which still describes India's seasons as wonderfully as it did back then. In this episode, I discuss the first chapter of this book. It is about the summer season. Hope you will like it. Feel free to share your thoughts on contactkalampedia@gmail.com and keep visiting kalampedia.org to support us.
A Book A Day Podcast is back after a long gap. Thank you for keeping your patience. In this episode, I discuss some of the travel essays by Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and The Doors of Perception. He offers a philosophical perspective on our need to travel and asks some really insightful questions. Let me know what you think of it. You can reach me at contactkalampedia@gmail.com to share your feedback.
In the concluding episode of this 3-part series, I discuss the Mughal Empire during Akbar and Humayun's times as seen through the eyes of Princess Gulbadan. Let me know your thoughts about this book at contactkalampedia@gmail.com and what books we should discuss in future.
In the second part of our book conversation on Gulbadan by Rumer Godden, I narrate the sequence of events when Babur moves to India from Afghanistan. Keep following the podcast to find out the fate of Mughal Empire after Babur's death.
In this 3-part series, I share a brief history of Mughal emperors and their lives, as seen through the eyes of Princess Gulbadan. I have picked this wonderful biography of Gulbadan by Rumer Godden. Let me know your thoughts on this at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
In this episode, I bring some romantic poetry from the ancient Indian literature. The poetry has been curated in a recently published book called How to Love in Sanskrit.
In this episode, I discuss Anuradha Ghosh's wonderful monograph on Jamini Roy. Jamini Roy was a 20th-century Bengali painter who drew inspiration from Indian folk art and blended it in his art. Let's learn more about his life and works. Feel free to share your thoughts at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
In this episode, I take you to the 20th-century Calcutta, where we explore the queer literature of Krishnagopal Mullick amidst the hustle and bustle of the Bengali city. The book, Entering the Maze: Queer Fiction of Krishnagopal Mullick, contains two short stories apart from the novella with the same title. Let's find out more about the book.
In this episode, I narrate some short and wonderful stories from Anvita Abbi's book Voices from the Lost Horizon. In this book Abbi traces down and chronicles the stories and songs of Bo language of the Andaman islands, which has since gone extinct. Visit kalampedia.org to know more about the book. Keep sharing your thoughts and ideas.
AlappuzhaThakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. In this episode, I narrate one of his short stories. The story is called The Flood and it's about a dog who is stuck at a hut during the floods. Let me know how you found the story.
In this episode I narrate a short story from Sindhi literature. Written by Lekhraj Tulsiani, the story recounts a tale of a poor woman in the court room. Let me know how you like the story.
In this episode I narrate a short story called 'The Whirlwind' written by Sant Singh Sekhon. Sant Singh Sekhon (1908–1997) was a Punjabi playwright and fiction writer. He is part of the generation of Indian authors who mark the transition of India into an independent nation, scarred by the tragedies of partition.
In the final chapter our discussion on Pankaj Mishra's book Temptations of the West, I share his visit to the Bollywood. Let me know what you think of the book.
It's early 2000s. Pankaj Mishra is travelling in Afghanistan and exploring its socio-political challenges. Let's find out what happens there with the help of his book Temptations of the West. Don't forget to share your feedback on contactkalampedia@gmail.com and I will be happy to respond.
In his book, 'Temptations of the West,' Pankaj Mishra travels through different parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and shares his experiences along with his succinct analysis on the social and political dynamics of these countries. I narrate a few passages from the book in today's episode.
Original called Dekh Kabira Roya (See, Kabir Cried), this short story (now titled Free for All) was published by Saadat Hasan Manto soon after he migrated to Pakistan after the partition. Manto uses the famous 15th century Sufi poet Bhagat Kabir as a protagonist to presciently satirise the emerging trends of intolerance, orthodoxy and cultural chauvinism in the newly-independent state, which are all too familiar in Pakistan in the 21st century. Let's hear the story in this episode.
I narrate another short story by Saadat Hasan Manto in this episode. The story is called The Dutiful Daughter and it highlights the violence faced by women during the India-Pakistan partition riots.
Let's enter the intriguing, dark (not to mention, humorous) world of Saadat Hasan Manto's pen and read some short stories together. Share your thoughts with me on contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
In today's podcast I discuss about the life of one of the 'Rocket Boys', with the help of Biman Nath's monograph. Homi Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist who is often regarded as the father of Indian nuclear programme. Learn about his life and works with this wonderful book. As always, your thoughts and suggestions are welcome at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
Continuing our series on Pioneers of Modern India, published by Niyogi Books, this time I share the story of Rani Gaidinliu. She was a legendary freedom fighter from North East India who fought for the rights of Zeliangrong Nagas. Not only do we learn about her life, but also her community, their belief system, their history, the challanges they face and much more.
In this episode I discuss a wonderful monograph written by Indradeep Bhattacharyya on life and works of RK Narayan. Visit www.kalampedia.org to read more about RK Narayan's works. If you have any queries or thoughts to share, please feel free to write at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
In the next few episodes of this podcast, I am going to share the stories of some wonderful characters from Indian history that have truly shaped this country. I start with Sudipto Das's biography of Jagadish Chandra Bose, the great Bengali polymath. Let's find out more about the book as well as the man himself.
In the concluding part of our Bhagavad Gita series, I discuss Jnana Yoga as it is explained by Krishna in Gita. Check out Vandana R Singh's book to explore all these valuable lessons in greater depth. Thank you for listening. For any queries, please write at contactkalampedia@gmail.com and I will be happy to respond.
In the second part of our Bhagavad Gita series, I discuss Bhakti Yoga as described in the Gita. Bhakti yoga, the path of devotion as elucidated in the Bhagavad Gita, holds profound significance in spiritual and personal development. In chapters seven to twelve, the Gita delves into the essence of bhakti, outlining its principles and emphasising its relevance in navigating the complexities of modern life. Check out Vandana R Singh's book to find more on this subject.
The Bhagavad Gita -- a profound source of spiritual wisdom. In the three-part series, I discuss Vandana R Singh's The Bhagavad Gita: A Life-changing Conversation. This book presents the most valuable lessons of Gita to contemporary readers. So, join me, and together we explore the pearls if this ancient Indian wisdom and apply it in our 21st century lives. This is the first of the three parts. Stay tuned for more.
In the concluding episode of our Biblical Stories series, we discuss the life and death of Jesus Christ. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know on contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
From the Old Testament we now arrive to the New Testament. And Jesus Christ is here. Keep following to learn what happens next.
We start the new year with the story of King David and what the Israelites go through during this period. Keep following the series to listen to some more exciting biblical stories.
Continuing with our Biblical stories theme this week, we join Moses on his journey to Israel. The conflict was much the same back then as it is now: Israel Vs Phillistines. Let's see what happens next. Keep following for more stories.
In this episode, we find out the story of Moses's birth and how he led his people out of Egypt. Keep following the podcast to know what happens next.
Continuing with our theme of Christianity, I narrate the story of Joseph and Jacob in this episode. Keep listening to explore more stories from the Bible this week. Don't forget to share your thoughts on contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
This week I am going to narrate some fascinating biblical stories on the podcast. Once you're familiar with the stories, you'd be better able to understand Christian theology. Let me know your thoughts at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
In this podcast I discuss one of the greatest books ever written on Christianity. Mere Christianity, first done as a part of BBC radio and later documented as a book, is a masterpiece of CS Lewis. Let's find out what it's all about. If you have any queries or feedback, please write to me at contactkalampedia@gmail.com.
The partition of India into two separate nations, India and Pakistan that is, was a significant event in history. I discuss some of the causes behind it in this episode. Please visit our website to read more on this subject. Also do check out our newsletter where you'll find some interesting content in the coming days.
In this episode, once again, I share a wonderful book on monsoon rains. Written by Ruskin Bond, Rain in the Mountains recounts the author's experience of living in the Himalayas, especially during the monsoon season.
In this episode -- since we are in the midst of the monsoon season -- I talk about a wonderful book on the monsoon. It's called Chasing the Monsoon. Please check out the latest newsletter at kalampedia.substack.com to see our complete reading list for the season.
In the concluding episode of our Ramayana series, let's find out what happens in the war that takes place between Rama and Ravana.
In the penultimate episode of our Ramayana series, we reach some interesting turn of events where the war between Ram and Ravan seems inevitable.
Continuing our Ramayana series, I narrate the sequence of events that take place during the exile period. Here we get introduced to another major character. Ravana.
In this episode of our Ramayana series we follow the life of Rama after his marriage to Sita. Keep following the podcast to listen to the entire series.
Ramayana is one of the major Hindu epics. In this series I am going to narrate the key parts of this story. For this I am going to take help of the original text by Valmeeki and the abridged English version by C. Rajagopalachari. Stay tuned.
In this episode, I pick two books and discuss how tea reached us from the mountains of China. These books are: The Classic of Tea (Cha Ching) and Empire of Tea. I would love to hear your thoughts too. You can write to me at contactkalampedia@gmail.com and share your feedback.
Bringing some interesting myths and legends from ancient China to tell you more about the origins of tea. Please check out our latest Kindle book on the subject: The Tea Philosophy: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Way https://amzn.eu/d/3llUsh6
‘Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence,’ wrote Okakura Kakuzo in The Book of Tea.
I discuss this book in today's podcast. You can get it from the link below. Let me know your thoughts. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3N5M45l
To conclude our theme of Himalayas, I am going to narrate a few passages from Rabindranath Tagore's memoirs where he describes his childhood experience in the Himalayas.
Himalayas have always inspired the spiritual seekers of the Indian subcontinent. The mighty, majestic mountains fill you with a feeling of mysticism. This was true in the 19th century as well, when Swami Vivekananda, the famous Indian monk, pursued his spiritual yearnings. In his biography Swami Vivekananda on Himself, the monk recounted his travel experiences. I narrate some passages from this account in today's podcast.
The year was 1894. Mark Twain, the great American writer, had gone bankrupt due to some poor investment choices. Therefore, in order to extricate himself from the debt, he undertook a journey through the British Empire, which, back then, meant pretty much the entire world. The route provided a wonderful opportunity for Twain to deliver his lectures and also write a book, which was published in 1897 as Following the Equator: A Journey Round the World. I narrate some of the passages from this book where Mark Twain describes his train journey to Darjeeling.
In the next few episodes I will share some fascinating writings on the Himalayas. In the first part of this series I narrate a short essay by Ruskin Bond, where he describes his experience of spending a night in a remote Himalayan village.
Here is another short story from the Quran. Again, this story comes originally from the Hebrew Bible, whereas in the Qur'an you'd find slightly different versions of these stories.
In this short episode let me narrate the story of David and Goliath as it is mentioned in the Qur'an.
Continuing the theme of Islam, I am going to narrate a few stories from the Qur'an in the next few days. These stories are taken from Tafsir Ibn Kathir. This book is the most renowned and accepted explanation of the Quran.
I discuss the controversial issues related to Islam which often divide today's politics. The Muslim world has to grapple with these questions and settle them, if different cultures are going to live in peace and harmony with each other. Let me know your thoughts.
To understand Islam, we have to understand its primary source, the Qur'an. In this podcast I discuss the approach we need while reading and interpreting the sacred text. Please share your feedback and questions at www.kalampedia.org.
Is Islam a religion of peace? Or does it preach violence? These are some of the controversial questions that divide today's political discourse in many parts of the world. Let's try to untangle this in our Ramadan special series.
Wishing Happy Ramadan to all the Muslims out there. In this series I am going to discuss some of the historical, political and philosophical aspects of Islam. Stay tuned. Don't forget to subscribe.
In this episode I briefly talk about the history of The Gitas (remember there is not just one, The Bhagavad Gita), and how they have evolved over time.
Indian religions have a peculiar approach which cannot be understood in a typical western manner. This book by the former Indian president Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan discusses the theological aspects of religions and at the same time guides us to build bridges to connect with each other. On a different note, this is the 300th episode of this podcast. Thank you so much for your positive response. Keep following!
Let's continue on our journey with the Kauravas and Pandavas of the Mahabharata and explore this ancient Indian epic a little more.
We continue our Mahabharata journey as we explore what happens in the lives of Kauravas and Pandavas.
Continuing the story of Mahabharata, I narrate the next sequence of events in the lives of Pandavas and Kauravas, the two key families in this great epic.
In this series, I am going to narrate the story of Mahabharata, the great Indian mythological epic. Let's start this journey together and explore the wonderful tales of the past.
The Mahabharata is the longest epic poem ever written, and dare I say, the greatest ever. In this series I am going to cover different aspects of this wonderful text. Stay tuned.
To conclude the week, I bring to you another one of Rabindranath Tagore's essays. In this essay, Tagore talks about the masculine and feminine, and how they have been traditionally viewed in society as well as literature. Keep following us on www.kalampedia.org as well as on the podcast here.
In his essay titled Shakuntala, Tagore compares Kalidasa's great epic poem Abhijnan Shakuntalam with Shakespearean Tempest. I narrate some passages from the essay in this podcast.
This week I am going to share some of the writings of the great writer Rabindranath Tagore. Starting with an essay on religion in today's episode.
To conclude our theme on India and Indian literature, I share some of the most beautiful verses ever written by Indian mystics. Hope you enjoyed this theme. Keep following for new conversations on books in the coming week.
In this podcast I share a brief guide to explore some of the greatest Indian writers in the last century. Please share your favourite writers with me.
Ramachandra Guha's book India After Gandhi covers the history of India after it gained independence from the British in 1947. It is a fascinating read which takes you through the complexities of India's modern social and political challenges. I discuss it briefly in this podcast.
In 1930 Will Durant published a book titled A Case for India after visiting the country. The historian and philosopher put out a strong case for India, which till date remains one of the best books written on this country.
Rajmohan Gandhi’s book Modern South India is a great place to start exploring the history of South India. The region has its own cultural and geographical significance, which makes its history quite different from other parts of India.
In Pranay Lal's book Indica, we learn about the journey of first humans from Africa to India. I discuss it in today's podcast.
Today I come to the next part of Pranay Lal's book Indica where he discusses how life evolved on Earth. Keep following the podcast for more conversations on books or visit www kalampedia.org to read.
This week I am going to talk about some interesting books on India. Starting today with Indica, which covers the natural history of the Indian subcontinent, I discuss the early history of Earth's formation.
Prochy Mehta's book "Who is a Parsi?" undertakes a difficult challenge to answer the puzzle described in its title. Who is a Parsi? Is a Parsi the same as Zoroastrian? Let's try to get into this question with the help of this book. In this podcast the author narrates a chapter from the book. Hope you enjoy that.
To conclude the theme of audio essays this week, I am going to narrate one called Morals and History from Will and Ariel Durant's book The Lessons of History. Hope you enjoyed the essays. Check out the previous episodes for more essays and do not forget to subscribe.
In his book Essays in Love, author Alain de Botton explored different stages of a romantic relationship - from first kiss to first argument, elation to heartbreak, and everything in between. Each stage of the relationship is narrated as an essay. And since we are narrating essays this week, I pick one from this book (on Beauty) and narrate it today. Hope you will enjoy. Please subscribe to the podcast.
R.K. Narayan was a well-known Indian writer famous for his set of work and writing in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was one of the leading and famous authors of early Indian literature written in English along with two others, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao.Narayan's greatest achievement was to make India accessible to the outside world through his writing and powerful words in his literature. Today I am narrating one of his essays titled An Average Man. Don't forget to subscribe.
Brianna Wiest is the bestselling author of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think. Since I am narrating essays this week, I have picked one from this book. The essay is called Things Emotionally Healthy People Know How to Do. Hope you will enjoy it. Stay tuned for more essays this week. Don't forget to subscribe and visit www.kalampedia.org to check out more books related stuff.
The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover. Joseph Addison's profound words on friendship still hold great value even after more than 300 years. In this episode I narrate his essay called Friendship. Hope you will enjoy this and other audio essays to follow this week. Do not forget to subscribe. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
Listening is a skill that holds great value but rarely does it get as much recognition as it should. There are all kinds of writing and speaking courses, but no one teaches us to listen. Let's talk about this wonderful skill that holds the key to our relationships as well as professional success.
Today I am going to narrate a short story by Tagore. It is called Raja and Rani and was published in Mashi and Other Stories (1918). Hope you will enjoy it.
The Vedanta philosophy, one of the orthodox schools of the Indian philosophy, includes various elaborations and interpretations of the Upanishads. In Swami Vivekananda's words, the Vedanta captures the Hindu way of life. Let's find out more about it.
This week we are discussing different schools of Indian philosophy and we now arrive at Yoga. Yoga philosophy is well described in “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,” where he outlines the eight limbs, or stages, that one should follow to reach moksha. More on this in this episode. Keep following for more interesting content from some really good books.
Today I will discuss the basics of Buddha's philosophy. It is another non-theistic school in Indian philosophy, which focuses on inquiry and contemplative investigation to find the truth. Listen to this episode to understand it better. Don't forget to subscribe.
In this episode I discuss the basics of Jaina philosophy, or Jainism. Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions, originating in India at least 2,500 years ago. The spiritual goal of Jainism is to become liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth and to achieve an all-knowing state called moksha. Find out more in this episode.
This week I will discuss different schools of Indian philosophy, starting with the Charvakas. It is a heterodox school of Indian philosophy. Charvaka holds direct perception, empiricism, and conditional inference as proper sources of knowledge, embraces philosophical skepticism and rejects ritualism and supernaturalism. More about it in the episode.
Philosophers have long wondered about the cause of lack of sleep since they too frequently deal with this problem. So, let's take a look at insomnia through the eyes of a philosopher and discover something new along the way.
Yann Martel talks about the relativity of truth in his book Life of Pi. Throughout the book, he keeps emphasising on this point. What is truth? Is it relative? Let's explore these questions with the help of this brilliant novel. Don't forget to subscribe.
Eva Hoffman's book How to be Bored gives us much needed wisdom on how important it is to take a pause in our lives. A pause to relax, to reflect - something which we have forgotten in our fast-paced lives. I discuss this wisdom with you in this episode. Please subscribe to stay tuned.
I narrate a short story today which was written by Rudyard Kipling over a century ago. The story tells you about the life of Afghanistan back then and how Kipling's own biases affected that. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast.
Elizabeth Kolbert's Pulitzer Prize winning book The Sixth Extinction argues that the Earth is in the midst of a modern, man-made, sixth extinction. I discuss the fundamental ideas of the book here.
A Haunted House is an interesting short story by Virginia Woolf. It is and is not a ghost story. In less than two pages of prose, Woolf explores, summons, and subverts the conventions of the ghost story, offering a modernist take on the genre. I narrate this story in today's podcast. Visit www.kalampedia.org to check out more interesting stories or follow the podcast here.
Should you eat meat or not? What are the philosophical arguments for or against the idea of veganism? Stephen Law, in his book The Philosophy Files, takes us on a quest where we discuss these kinds of questions. Originally intended for children, this book provides interesting philosophical conversations for adults as well. I discuss one chapter of this book in today's podcast.
Meghna Pant's book How to Get Published in India is an easy guide for all the aspiring writers in India that dream to get published one day. I discuss briefly what you will get out of this book in today's podcast. To know more, you can write us on contactkalampedia@gmail.com or visit www.kalampedia.org and check there.
live in a hectic, hyperactive, over-stimulated age. Excessive busyness and overfilled schedules are the norm, as are their effects on our mental and emotional lives. How to overcome this challenge? We learn it through Eva Hoffman's book How to be Bored in today's podcast. Subscribe to keep exploring the world of books with me.
Anansi is an Akan folktale character. He often takes the shape of a spider and is sometimes considered to be a god of all knowledge of stories. In this podcast I narrate a story which tells us about how he came to possess all the stories. Keep listening. Don't forget to subscribe. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
Shashi Tharoor, in his book India Shastra, gives a broader perspective of India's history, culture, politics, social practices and much more. In one of the chapters, he talks about the atrocities committed by the British during the colonial period. I share this in today's podcast. Subscribe to keep listening to more such interesting stories or visit www.kalampedia.org to explore more.
In her second compilation of published writing, Brianna Wiest explores pursuing purpose over passion, embracing negative thinking, seeing the wisdom in daily routine, and becoming aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. The collection is called 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think. I narrate one of the essays from this book.
Thich Nhat Hanh discussed Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness in the simplest ways possible. In his book The Art of Living, he educates us on some of the very basics of leading a good life. I discuss it briefly in today's podcast. Please visit www.kalampedia.org to support me.
Sohrab and Rustom is a narrative poem with strong tragic themes first published in 1853 by Matthew Arnold. The poem retells a famous episode from Ferdowsi's Persian epic Shahnameh relating how the great warrior Rustum unknowingly slew his long-lost son Sohrab in single combat. I narrate the story in today's podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
Seligmann Fromm was a German social psychologist, philosopher and writer. In his book The Art of Loving, he discusses the idea of love and how it is going extinct as an art under the assault of romanticism. I discuss some of these thoughts in this podcast.
I narrate another fun story today. It was written by Ambrose Bierce and is titled John Mortonson's Funeral. Enjoy.
Today I discuss some of the very basics of the Quran and try to explain its theology at the fundamental level.
Introduction about this project that I have undertaken. Welcome to the world to the world of books!
In this podcast, I continue with the journey of Prophet Muhammad after he received his first revelations of the Quran.
What really happened on Mount Hira where Prophet Muhammad received first revelations of the Quran? We find out in today's podcast.
Today, with the help of a couple of brilliant books, I share the early life story of Prophet Muhammad. Stay tuned to learn more about Islamic History and Philosophy in the month of Ramadan.
In the month of Ramadan, I am reading a few books on Islamic history and philosophy. Sharing these books and ideas with you on this podcast, starting with the life story of Prophet Muhammad.
In this podcast, I narrate some of the beautiful passages that you will find in the English literature. I have picked these passages from my favourite books. Visit kalampedia.org to read more of such passages.
The School of Life is a place meant to educate us on the issues surrounding emotional health. They have published a number of books too. I discuss their book titled The School of Life and what we can learn from it.
Happy Endings is a short story by Margaret Atwood. It was first published in a 1983 Canadian collection, Murder in the Dark. I narrate this short story in today's podcast.
Classic Taoist wisdom applied to the world of parenting, guiding mothers and fathers to meaningful conversations and relationships with their children. William C. Martin has freshly reinterpreted the Tao Te Ching to speak directly and clearly to the most difficult of modern tasks -- parenting. I discuss some of these ideas in this podcast.
The Next 100 Years is a 2009 speculative nonfiction book by George Friedman. In the book, Friedman attempts to predict the major geopolitical events and trends of the 21st century. That also includes the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Let's find out.
Should you always tell the truth or should you also lie sometimes, especially to be nice and polite? This age-old question in moral philosophy deserves our attention. Let's discuss then.
Can men live without women? If yes, what would their life be like? Both Hemingway and Murakami have explored this question in their books -- separated by over a hundred years -- Men Without Women. I discuss the books in this podcast.
Today I discuss the memoirs of an SS commandant at Auschwitz during the second world war. This book recounts the author's days at Auschwitz where the Jewish Holocaust took place.
In recent years there has been a debate on Hijab and whether or not it is an essential part of Islam. Let's take a look at what The Quran says and how the text can be interpreted.
In the book Great Thinkers, The School of Life (as the organisation often does) brings the ancient philosophical teachings for modern problems. I discuss the chapter on Stoics and what they prescribed for the problem of anxiety.
Who is the majority in India? It sounds like a very simple question, but it's not. As Shashi Tharoor tells us in his book, India is a country where everyone is in minority.
In today's podcast I discuss Tété-Michel Kpomassie's memoirs titled An African in Greenland. It's beautifully narrated account of a young man who leaves Africa, travels through Europe, in search of Arctic mountains, and finally arrives in Greenland. Along the way he learns and shares some remarkable lessons on human societies.
The Great Narrative of Phertajido was told in the Bo language, now among the extinct Indian languages. Its last speaker, Boa Sr, passed away in 2010. The language is a part of history now. However, thanks to Professor Anvita Abbi, parts of this ancient language have been preserved and documented. In her book Voices From The Lost Horizon, Professor Abbi shares stories and songs from the ancient past of ours.
Fanaa is an idea in Sufism in which you destroy the self to become one with the almighty. In this podcast, I discuss Al Ghazali's point of view on Fanaa and how one can practice it.
The idea of death has become a taboo in our societies. We don't discuss it much. But this idea is always lurking around it. How do we deal with the fear of death? At the same time, how do we find consolation when we lose someone? Buddhist meditations on death might have some answers.
Meditation on gratitude changes our perspective and helps us live more positively. Let's practice this meditation in today's podcast.
We begin the Buddhist meditations series with the meditation on breath. Take a moment to relax and let me guide you through this short session.
Before we begin our meditation sessions, let’s discuss some of the common challenges that beginners encounter and how you can deal with them.
Today we discuss some of the basics that you need to follow before starting your meditation journey.
Why should one meditate at all? Does it really help one's mental health? Does this spirituality that everyone keeps talking about make any sense? I address these questions in today's podcast.
How much can we learn through books? Don't worry, it's a rhetorical question. But that has been the idea behind Kalampedia. Now, taking this idea forward, let's learn some valuable meditation techniques from the books of Kathleen McDonald, a Buddhist teacher and writer.
The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century is a 2014 English style guide written by cognitive scientist, linguist and popular science author Steven Pinker. I discuss this in today's podcast.
Written in early 20th-century, In Search of Lost Time is Marcel Proust's most prominent, known both for its length and its theme of involuntary memory. I narrate a few pages from the book in today's podcast.
As a Man Thinketh is a self-help book by James Allen, published in 1903. The book might reveal the answers to some of the fundamental questions you are pondering over.
Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature. Today I narrate some of his verses in this podcast.
Wit Inspirations of the Two-Year-Olds is a humorous piece penned in the late nineteenth century by American writer Mark Twain. I narrate this short story in today's podcast.
In today's podcast, I narrate a wonderful essay written by the great American writer Stewart Edward White. The essay is titled On Lying Awake at Night and it is going to be of great help if you are a nocturnal being.
JRR Tolkien's fantasy world is one of the most popular ones in literature and is best explored through books such as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. In today's podcast, I discuss the first one and narrate the first few pages of it.
Continuing the discussion from previous episode on Sanjeev Sanyal's book Land of the Seven Rivers, I discuss the Vedic culture of India and its history. Hope you will have a good time listening to the excerpts from the book.
In his book Land of Seven Rivers, Sanjeev Sanyal sets out to explore how India’s history was shaped by its geography-answering questions you may have never thought to ask. One of those questions is regarding the fate of Indus Valley Civilisation. I discuss that question through the lens of this book in today's podcast.
Free Will is a 2012 book by the American neuroscientist Sam Harris. It argues that free will is an illusion, but that this does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of political and social freedom, and that it can and should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life. I discuss the key ideas and arguments presented in this book on the question of free will.
Ghosts bring a lot of thrill to a story. They can be scary too but that's a part of the fun. That's why I am going to narrate a horror story in today's podcast. This is as much an attempt to scare you as it is to entertain you. Beware!
Letter to His Father is the name usually given to the letter Franz Kafka wrote to his father Hermann in November 1919, indicting him for his emotionally abusive and hypocritical behavior towards him. I narrate parts of this letter to give you some idea about Franz Kafka's own life, especially his childhood issues.
Finally we come to the end of this week's theme, which is about telling you some folk stories from around the world. This one comes from Italy. Enjoy.
In the second last episode of this week's theme of folklores, I bring a folk tale from the other side of the world, i.e., from South America. Hope you will enjoy the story.
This week's theme on folk stories continues and I bring to you a Jewish folk tale today. Follow us for more stories and conversations on books.
This week's theme of myths and folklores continues. Today's folk tale is from China. Hope you will enjoy it.
Continuing this week's theme of folk stories, I bring to you a Korean folklore today. It's called Come, Look. Enjoy the story and stay tuned for more.
Today, I narrate an Irish folk story which is about the queer side of cats. Keep following this week's episodes to listen to more of such folk stories from different parts of the world.
This week I am narrating folk stories from around the world. A story a day, to be precise. Today, I have picked an African folk tale for you.
Edward James Corbett CIE VD was a British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author who hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India in 20th century. In this episode, I briefly discuss his works and narrate a short story written by him.
Mullah Nasruddin Khodja is a wise man famous throughout the Muslim and some parts of the non-Muslim world. Historical documents show that he lived in the 13th century in Anatolia (today Turkey). He was a scholar (âlim) or at least an educated man. His jokes were narrated for centuries between people for different purposes, some for humour and some to tell as stories full of meaning and wisdom. I narrate some of his stories in today's podcast.
Okakura Kakuzo was a Japanese scholar who contributed to the development of arts in Japan. His masterpiece The Book of Tea is a long essay linking the role of chadō to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of Japanese life. I discuss this book in today's podcast.
In the 200th episode of this podcast series, I bring you Ratna Rajaiah's book Secrets of Health from the Indian Kitchen. The author brings you some of the ancient and finest cuisines from grandma's kitchen and tell you the stories of each of them along with the recipe secrets. Enjoy the podcast and enjoy the food.
Ancient Greeks has their own worldview, beliefs and folklores. The myths found in their culture are as rich as you would find anywhere. In this podcast, I take a look at the creation myth of this culture.
Salman Rashid is Pakistan’s leading travel writer. The author of nine travel books, A Time of Madness is his first memoir where he recounts his visit to India and finally coming to terms with the dark past of India-Pakistan partition in which he lost many of his family members. I share an incident from the book in this podcast.
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a book written by Nalin Verma. It is a collection of timeless tales that have been told through generations, are adored for being a literature and treated as sacred testament of village wisdom. I narrate one popular folk story from the book in today's podcast.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. Today I narrate one such short story with you. It's called An Enigmatic Nature.
Though he considered himself to be mainly a painter, lived most of his life in the United States, and wrote his best-known works in English, Kahlil Gibran was the key figure in a Romantic movement that transformed Arabic literature in the first half of the twentieth century. Since he is most remembered for his book The Prophet, I pick this one and narrate some of its beautiful chapters in this podcast.
The Blank Slate is a 2002 book by the cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker, in which the author makes a case against tabula rasa models in the social sciences, arguing that human behavior is substantially shaped by evolutionary psychological adaptations. I discuss some of the ideas of the book in today's podcast.
The Book of Indian Kings comprises stories and essays about some of the greatest rulers and statesmen in the history of India. It's a collection by some of the brilliant writers of our times, from Rushdie to Dalrymple. In this podcast, I narrate the essay by Romila Thapar which briefly discusses the Mauryan empire and its most important face, King Ashoka.
A novelist who writes eloquently about the wrenching dislocations of history, Milan Kundera is as good a writer of novels as he is a novelist. In his books The Art of Novel and Testaments Betrayed, he explains the history and the future of novel writing. I narrate some interesting parts of these books in this podcast.
In their book Manufacturing Consent, Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky depict how an underlying elite consensus largely structures all facets of the news. What emerges from this groundbreaking work is an account of just how propagandistic our mass media are, and how we can learn to read them and see their function in a radically new way. I discuss some of these ideas in this podcast.
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, published in 1886, is a collection of humorous essays by Jerome K. Jerome. It was the author’s second published book and it helped establish him as a leading English humorist. I read out a few pages from the book in today's podcast.
Yoga philosophy is one of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism. Ancient, medieval and most modern literature often refers to the Yoga school of Hinduism simply as Yoga. It is closely related to the Samkhya school of Hinduism. What is it really and what can we learn about it beyond certain postures and exercises? I discuss this and more in today's podcast.
The Gene: An Intimate History is a book written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, an Indian-born American physician and oncologist.
Inderjeet Singh’s book titled Afghan Hindus and Sikhs aims to prove that Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are an indigenous people and not recent settlers. The books provides a thousand-year history of these communities and how the demography has changed under various regimes.
The Lessons of History is a 1968 book by historians Will Durant and Ariel Durant. The book provides a summary of periods and trends in history they had noted upon completion of the 10th volume of their momentous eleven-volume The Story of Civilization. I discuss this book in today's podcast and take you through a short journey of history.
In his book Being the Other, veteran journalist and author Saeed Naqvi looks at how the divisions between Muslims and Hindus began in the modern era. The book is partly a memoir and partly an exploration of the various deliberate and inadvertent acts that have contributed to the othering of the 180 million Muslims in India. I discuss the book in today's podcast.
Andrew Otis’ book titled "Hicky’s Bengal Gazette; India’s first newspaper" fuses the biography of its remarkable editor with the biography of his time. It's an interesting insight to the colonial India and how newspaper culture developed first in Calcutta. I share some anecdotes from the book in today's podcast.
Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology, and one of the leading figures in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. I discuss some of his books and ideas in today's podcast.
Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was an Indian medical doctor, social activist, rationalist and author from Maharashtra, India. In 1989 he founded and became president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. He has written a number of books on reason, rationalism, atheism, superstitions etc. I discuss one of his books and tell you the story of discussing atheism in a largely superstitious society of India.
Fail Better is an essay by Zadie Smith. It's about writers and their quest for the perfect novel. As the essay explores a writer's struggles, it ends up teaching us far more about the quest of reading and writing. I narrate this essay in today's podcast.
Kabuliwala is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892, during Tagore's " Sadhana" period (named for one of Tagore's magazines) from 1891 to 1895. The story is about "The Fruitseller" a Pathan from Kabul, Afghanistan who visits to Calcutta (present day Kolkata), India each year for selling dry-fruits and while living in India he develops filial affection with a five-year-old girl Mini from a middle-class aristocratic family. I narrate this story in today's podcast.
An Edible History of Humanity is a book written by Tom Standage that encompasses the history of the world from prehistory to modern day times through the tracing of foods and agricultural techniques used by man. I discuss this book and tell you the story of good in today's podcast.
Augustine of Hippo, also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian, philosopher, and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. The Augustinian theodicy, is a type of Christian theodicy that developed in response to the evidential problem of evil. I discuss this in today's podcast.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages and selling millions of copies outside his native country. Today I narrate one of his short stories. It's called The Kingdom That Failed.
Sikhism or Sikhi is a Dharmic religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. Sikhism is one of the youngest of the major religions and the world's fifth-largest organized religion, with about 25-30 million Sikhs as of the early-21st century. But what is Sikhism? What is its history? I discuss some of these questions and much more in today's podcast.
The Missionary Position is a book by the British-American journalist and polemicist Christopher Hitchens published in 1995. It is a critique of the work and philosophy of Mother Teresa, the founder of an international Roman Catholic religious congregation, and it challenges the mainstream media's assessment of her charitable efforts. I share some of the interesting points from the book in today's podcast.
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, perspective and environment. In today's podcast, I narrate one of his short stories which beautifully captures the events that take place in the course of a few hours.
The Partition of India was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, India and Pakistan. The whole event, which took place in 1947, was preceded and succeeded by countless instances of riots and violence. It is in this setting I narrate you a sad short story written by a Punjabi writer Mohinder Singh Sarna.
David Hume was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, who is best known today for his highly influential system of philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. I discuss some of his interesting ideas in today's podcast.
Judith Jarvis Thomson was an American philosopher who studied and worked on ethics and metaphysics. She wrote a moral philosophy essay titled A Defense of Abortion in 1971. This has been widely read and discussed on the issue of abortion. I discuss her arguments in today's podcast.
Robert Wilson Lynd was an Irish writer, editor of poetry and urbane literary essayist. In today's podcast, I treat you with one of his essays titled The Pleasures of Ignorance. This essay truly agitates the readers' minds and rekindles the desire for rational thinking. Enjoy.
"The Mirror" is a short story about a selfish queen that does not like to be seen because of her hideous appearance. It was written by Catulle Mendes more than a century ago but it still captivates the modern reader. I narrate this story in today's podcast.
Rakhshanda Jalil, in her book titled Preeto and Other Stories: The Male Gaze in Urdu, brings us a collection of short stories originally written in Urdu and shows how Urdu male writers have been able to capture a woman's emotions perfectly. In this podcast, I narrate a beautiful short story written Gulzar.
Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. In today's podcast, I summarise the wisdom contained in this book.
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story. The surviving work is dated to roughly 200 BCE – 300 CE, based on older oral tradition. Today, I narrate a story from this repository of fascinating tales.
Romila Thapar is an Indian historian. Her principal area of study is ancient India, a field in which she is pre-eminent. In this podcast, I narrate one of her essays on Indian nationalism and its history.
Rupert Spira is an English teacher of the "direct path", a method of spiritual self-enquiry through talks and writing. In his book The Nature of Consciousness, he challenges the prevailing materialist paradigm that is holding humanity back, suggesting that consciousness is the fundamental reality of the apparent duality of mind and matter, and that overlooking or ignoring this reality is the root cause of the suffering we see around us.
Khalil Gibran, usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist, also considered a philosopher although he himself rejected the title. In today's podcast, I narrate some of his stories which are really short and truly profound.
Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was an Indian polymath - philosopher, jurist, economist, politician, social reformer, journalist, writer, sociologist, and anthropologist. His views on religions and the partition of India because of religion are quite interesting and worth reading. I read some pages of his book in this podcast.
Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. In his book On the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche traces episodes in the evolution of moral concepts with a view to confronting "moral prejudices", specifically those of Christianity and Judaism. I discuss these ideas in today's podcast.
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics have made him one of the most influential figures in modern Western philosophy. In this podcast, I discuss Kant's theory of morality.
The renowned American neuroscientist David Eagleman for a journey into the questions at the mysterious heart of our existence. What is reality? Who are “you”? How do you make decisions? Why does your brain need other people? How is technology poised to change what it means to be human? All this he tries to answer in his book called The Brain.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the mid-20th century. What we are seeing right now is only a glimpse of its decade-long history. Many of you who have been asking for book recommendations on this subject, which I do make in this podcast alongside giving you an overview on the history of it.
William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. He wrote many, many short stories, all of which deserve to be read, and one of which I narrate in this podcast. Hope you will enjoy.
Perumal Murugan’s tender yet truthful essays capture the life of a strong, independent and extraordinary woman: his mother. She raised her children with the income from just a few acres of land that she managed on her own, tending to the cattle and crops with maternal concern, all the while minding her unruly husband. I read out one of the essays which revolves around the food she would cook.
A Confession, or My Confession, is a short work on the subject of melancholia, philosophy and religion by the acclaimed Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. It was written in 1879 to 1880, when Tolstoy was in his early fifties and going through a kind of mid-life crisis. I read out the last couple of pages in this podcast.
Farzana Shaikh in her book Making Sense of Pakistan argues the country’s decline is rooted primarily in uncertainty about the meaning of Pakistan and the significance of ‘being Pakistani’. This has pre-empted a consensus on the role of Islam in the public sphere and encouraged the spread of political Islam. I read a few excerpts from the book to give you an idea of it.
Rupert Spira in his book The Transparency of Things tries to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it. A series of contemplations leads us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is philosophy combined with spirituality - something that has been the culture in the East. The author contemplates on the nature of our experience and allows us to do the same as well.
Three Men in a Boat, published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a two-week boating holiday on the Thames from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford and back to Kingston. But that's not the reason I discuss it in today's podcast. My reason is to show you the funny side of hypochondria in these difficult times of Coronavirus.
The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. In this podcast, I read out a few lessons from this collection.
The Lottery Ticket is a short story by Anton Chekhov about a middle-class couple that believes they have won the lottery. Ivan Dmitritch is skeptical of his wife spending money on lottery tickets and believes she is wasting money on them. The story gives you a glimpse of a love-hate relationship. I narrate this story in today's podcast.
Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. While mostly known for his poetry and Sufism, Rumi has also written a few short stories - written in his own poetic style, of course - which are quite popular across the world. I narrate a couple of these short stories in this podcast.
Carl Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy and religious studies. It's interesting how he combines the wisdom of all these disciplines and points out at the state of our lives - it's pleasures and miseries. I discuss his ideas on religion in this podcast and how it adds meaning to one's life.
Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. I discuss his ideas in this podcast.
The Stolen Bacillus” is a satirical short story about the potential role of science and scientists in facilitating bio terrorism, written by Herbert George Wells better known as H. G. Wells. It's quite interesting given the times we live in, where a virus has caused the entire world to panic. I narrate this short story in the podcast.
Ramayana is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient Indian history, the other being the Mahābhārata. Along with the Mahābhārata, it forms the Hindu Itihasa. The epic, traditionally ascribed to the Maharishi Valmiki, narrates the life of Rama, a legendary prince of Ayodhya city in the kingdom of Kosala. I share a few things about the story of Ramayana in this podcast.
Indian philosophy refers to philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. It has different schools of thoughts such as Buddhism, Jainism etc. And of course what is today known as Hinduism and its different schools. But the challenge is to make sense of its structure and framework. Which is exactly what I discuss in this podcast.
The Iranian Revolution, locally known as the Islamic Revolution was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the replacement of his government with an Islamic republic under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. Naipaul captures the immediate change in Iranian landscape right after the revolution in his book Among the Believers. I read out a few pages from the book for you in this podcast.
Several stories about the famous Mughal emperor, Akbar, and his advisor, Birbal, have done the rounds for many years. It was mostly passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. Many even created new stories with morals and assigned the characters of Akbar and Birbal if they deemed fit. I narrate one such story in this podcast.
Francis Bacon's works, seen as developing the scientific method, remained influential through the scientific revolution. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism. He argued for the possibility of scientific knowledge based only upon inductive reasoning and careful observation of events in nature. In this podcast, I share some of his ideas.
In this book, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He brings to light the profound wisdom contained in Patanjali's Sanskrit passages in a language that is palatable to the modern mind. I discuss this book briefly and the underlying philosophy.
In his book The Age of Kali, William Dalrymple travels the Indian subcontinent and tries to capture the troubles of those times (1990s). In this podcast, I take out the chapter on Imran Khan, where Dalrymple describes his personality, character and how the Pakistani society views him. I read out a few excerpts from the book as well.
Wahiduddin Khan, known with the honorific Maulana, was an Indian Islamic scholar and peace activist known for having written a commentary on the Quran and having translated it into contemporary English. He passed away two days ago due to coronavirus. This podcast is a tribute to his efforts for encouraging interfaith harmony and reforms in the Muslim world.
Publisher’s Note
Tales, fables and stories occupy an important place in the Tibetan way of life. This may not be co in the lives of Tibetans these days, but in the part Tibetans grew up listening to tales from their grandparents or storytellers, Fascinated by such extraordinary and ghostly characters, as ogres, demons, kings and princes, dragons etc, often sounded similar.
We are pleases to bring out this collection of folk tales from Eastern Tibet. The stories have been compiled and meticulously translated into English so that the non-Tibetan readers could take a trip into the world of Tibetan folk tales. The work is presented in a simple, straightforward language keeping as close as possible to the original flavour of the oral narration.
This publication will hopefully be a significant contribution towards fulfilling one of LTWA’s main objectives, which is to preserve and disseminate Tibet’s rich oral folk culture.
We wish to thank Linda Roman for going through the entire collection of stories and offering valuable editorial assistance. We also would like to thank Ms. Jashi Yangzom for her assistance in preparing this book.
Back of The Book
Folk Tales from Eastern Tibet, an English translation of the traditional tales prevalent in the Amdo region of Tibet was originally published in Japanese by Professor Ryoshun Kajihama, Setsunam University.
This collection consists of twenty-eight tales; most of which come from the memories of the Tibetans. These folk tales convey a sense of the traditional nomadic life and within them we can catch a glimpse of a nomad’s friendships, enmities, and conflicts and can get a sense of his or her juys sorrows. I narrate one of the stories from the collection in this podcast.
V S Naipaul's book, Among the Believers, describes a six-month journey across the Asian continent after the Iranian Revolution. V.S. Naipaul explores the culture and the explosive situation in countries where Islamic fundamentalism was growing. In this podcast, I read out the lessons from Malaysia.
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work. Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book, Kim, and many short stories, including How the Camel Got Its Hump - which I am going to narrate in this podcast.
Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer. His short stories are widely read even today. I narrate one of his short stories called The Distinguished Stranger in this podcast.
The Hindu Way: An Introduction to Hinduism is the perfect introduction to one of the world’s oldest and greatest religions. Derived from Shashi Tharoor’s bestselling book Why I Am a Hindu and his other discussions and writings on the subject, this is an examination of the fundamentals and complexities of Hinduism—a book that will appeal to both adults as well as young adult readers. I read the introduction of the book where he describes what Hinduism is.
The Age of Kali is a 1998 travel book by William Dalrymple. The book's theme is trouble in the Indian subcontinent and the Hindu belief in a time called the Kali Yuga when many problems will come to exist in the world. In this episode I read out the chapter on Vrindavan which talks about how Hindu widows find a home in this place.
Blink is Malcolm Gladwell's second book. It presents in popular science format research from psychology and behavioral economics on the adaptive unconscious: mental processes that work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information. In other words, how can we channelize our intuitions better. I discuss the book briefly in this podcast.
Mirabai was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. I recite some of her poems in this podcast.
The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. It is organized in 114 chapters, which consist of verses. Since this is the month of Ramazan for Muslims, I decided to give a brief idea about the book to those who would want to read it.
"The Three Questions" is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy first published in 1885 as part of the collection What Men Live By, and Other Tales. The story takes the form of a parable, and it concerns a king who wants to find the answers to what he considers the three most important questions in life. I narrate the story in today's podcast.
Why I Am Not a Christian is an essay by the British philosopher Bertrand Russell. In this essay, he explores various arguments in support of existence of God and in Christian morality, and goes on to critique them. I narrate the essay in this podcast.
Chachnama, the story of Chach, tells the story of the early 8th-century conquests of Sindh (now in Pakistan) by the Umayyad general Muhammad bin Qasim. It is also sometimes called as The Conquest of Sindh or The History of Sindh and India. In this podcast, I narrate the story briefly in the words of V. S. Naipaul who wrote about it in his 1981 book called Among the Believers.
Arabian Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. The work was collected over many centuries by various authors, translators, and scholars across West, Central and South Asia, and North Africa. The stories are inter-weaved brilliantly and contain countless events of magic and fantasy. I read out the beginning of this long tale in this podcast.
George Orwell's essay “Reflections on Gandhi” examines Gandhi's principal of non-violence, or Satyagraha ("holding on to the truth"), as a political tool. Orwell attempts to evaluate non-violence as a method of political leverage outside of the unique circumstances in which Gandhi successfully deployed his method. I narrate this essay in today's podcast.
In her collection of essays, Arundhati Roy critiques Indian government from multiple perspectives. I read a few pages from her essay called Azadi where she examines the question of freedom for Kashmiris, challenging us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a country of growing right-wing influence.
Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy is a spiritual book by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. The book is intended to be a spiritual guide with practices for personal growth, and also a look at the author's own spiritual journey. The book talks about body, mind and energy, and how we can work on all three through Yoga practices. I talk about that book in this podcast.
The philosophy of Confucius—Confucianism—emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity. He remains a widely appreciated figure in the story of Chinese philosophy. I discuss it briefly.
The School of Life is nothing short of a crash course in emotional intelligence. With all the trademark wit and elegance of Alain de Botton's other writings, and rooted in practical, achievable advice, the book is the kind of self-help one needs while going through various emotional and mental health challenges.
The Argumentative Indian is a book written by Nobel Prize winning Indian economist Amartya Sen. It is a collection of essays that discuss India's history and identity, focusing on the traditions of public debate and intellectual pluralism. In this podcast, I read out the first few pages of the very first essay which is titled as The Argumentative Indian.
An Area of Darkness is a book written by V. S. Naipaul in 1964. It is a travelogue detailing Naipaul's trip through India in the early sixties. In this podcast, I read out a few pages in which he is travelling through Kashmir and witnessing the social and political situation.
Kabir Das was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib. His poetry is still celebrated all over India and symbolises the rich culture.
The Strange Death of Europe is a 2017 book by the British journalist and political commentator Douglas Murray. It covers three major ideas in the context of Europe: Immigration, Identity and Islam. I read a few pages from the book in this podcast.
The classic teaching by a Tibetan master Chögyam Trungpa continues to inspire both beginners and long-time practitioners of Buddhist meditation. I discuss the basic ideas of meditation with the help of these texts.
Ritual is part of what it means to be human. Like sports, music, and drama, ritual defines and enriches culture, putting those who practice it in touch with sources of value and meaning larger than themselves. I share author Barry Stephenson's ideas on rituals in this podcast.
The great Anglo-American poet W. H. Auden is widely remembered for his tone, style and ability to communicate through human emotions. I recite one of his beautiful, short poem called Lullaby. Happy Sleeping!
Buddha was one of the earliest philosophers in human history. His profound wisdom, insights on human suffering, meditation methods are valid even today, to everyone within and outside the Buddhist belief system.
Bhagavad Gita is a sacred text in Hindu philosophy which pays a lot of attention to our actions, inactions and way to lead a meaningful life. I read a few verses from this book.
We are readers. But what does thing called Reading really mean? We talk about our reading material all the time, let's talk about reading itself in this podcast.
Bhagat Singh was an Indian revolutionary who inspired a generation of Indians to fight against the British rule. Till date his story is heard in every corner of India. He was also an atheist and he has written about his views on atheism in his book which I discuss in this podcast.
Guy de Maupassant was a famous French short story writer. His short stories feel as fresh and relevant today as they were in the 19th and 20th century.
Reciting this famous poem by British Romantic poet Lord Byron. It was first published in 1815. The poem praises and seeks to capture a sense of the beauty of a particular woman.
In her debut novel The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy raised the bar of novel-writing so high that she herself would struggle to go beyond that. I read the first few pages of the book to give you a taste of her writing.
Ben Okri's Booker Prize winning trilogy The Famished Road carries the beauty of magical realism. I read out a few passages from the book.
William Wordsworth's poem describes the romance upon seeing a rainbow. I recite this poem for you hoping that you will recite it too when you see a rainbow the next time.
Today I narrate excerpts from a short story from James Joyce's short story collection called Dubliners. The 20th century Irish culture in Dublin is brilliantly captured by one of the great writers of all time.
Derek Walcott was one of the greatest English language poets. The Nobel prize winning poet left a large repository of works behind him. I read his poem titled Love After Love in this podcast.
In his book What's Wrong with the World, GK Chesterton presents his arguments critiquing the modern ideas. His arguments are both powerful and amusing. I read out a part of the book to give you a taste of what it is all about.
On the 100th episode of this podcast, allow me to narrate a horror story. It was written in 1934 by Julius Long. It tells the story of man living in a small country hotel who becomes obsessed with the only other guest there.
Upanishads are a collection of texts which explores various philosophical ideas in Hinduism. One of the important ideas is the age old question of Who Am I? I narrate a story from one of the Upanishads.
Rigveda, the oldest scripture known to mankind, has its own view on the creation of the universe, much like many other religious scriptures. I recite a few passages from the book.
Dylan Thomas's famous poem has been an inspiration not only to you and me but also to the characters in fictional stories. Let's recite this once more.
I read out a chapter from Jiddu Krishnamurti's famous book Freedom from the Unknown. The chapter is on consciousness and throws some interesting questions in our quest to understand ourselves.
In this poem Elizabeth Barrett Browning tells us different ways of loving our lover. Let's take time to appreciate the poem and enjoy this beautiful feeling called love while we can.
From the ancient Greece to the digital age, philosophers have consistently argued over the idea of humour and have come up with different theories. I discuss in this podcast.
The famous poem by Paul Verlaine describes the emotional condition of a speaker who does not understand why he is feeling unhappy. I narrate it for you.
What is mindfulness? How does it help you especially in terms of your mental well being. Let's find out with the help of today's book.
Let's explore the most common mental problem i.e., Depression through the lens of literature and books.
Trying to make sense of this vastly complicated subject through the lens of literature, art and philosophy.
Dr BR Ambedkar was arguably the finest Indian intellectual in 20th century. His writings are brilliant, especially when it comes to critiquing India. Irfan Habib, historian and writer, presents selected writings of Indian thinkers on the idea of Indian nationalism. I read out the chapter on Ambedkar in this podcast.
Ibn Khaldun was an Arab scholar of Islam, social scientist, philosopher and historian who has been described as the founder of the modern disciplines of historiography, sociology, economics, and demography. Let's learn a little bit about him through his great works.
Bliss Carman's spiritual poem titled Vestigia touches the heart and soul and provoke the mind.
In their book The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, Edward Burger and Michael Starbird explain how we can train our mind to think in an effective manner. I give you the overview of the book in today's podcast.
In her book "Divided by Partition United by Resilience: 21 Inspirational Stories from 1947", Mallika Ahluwalia brings the stories of some famous Indians who witnessed the horrors of the partition. I narrate the story of Gulzar in this podcast.
Reciting a fun poem by Irene Rutherford McLeod as it talks about one of our favourite subjects: a dog.
Arundhati Roy's non-fiction work revolves around her role as a social activist. I read through some of her essays in this podcast.
A letter written by Leo Tolstoy and published by Mahatma Gandhi. What can this letter teach us in today's world?
Is there an Indian way of thinking? What does the great 20th century poet AK Ramanujan think about this? Let's see.
In this podcast, I throw light at some of the basic ideas of Sikhism and explain what this religion is all about.
Harsh Madhusudhan and Rajeev Mantri bring a new idea of India. That of India as a civilisational state. Which is not really a new idea but an ancient one. How's this shaping the new India? Let's find out in this book.
Titania McGrath is a fictional character created by comedian Andrew Doyle. She has written a couple of books which poke fun at modern social justice movements. Let's see.
Devdutt Pattanaik in his book 7 Secrets of Shiva unfolds many stories related to the Hindu God Shiva. I read a few pages from the book.
The popular work from the 20th century holds a great value even today. Let's read a little bit of it.
Nathu Ram Godse, who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, had his own version of the political events of India. I share some of these controversial ideas from Godse's writings.
In his book Death, An Inside Your Story, Indian mystic Sadhguru explores the subject which we generally consider very dark. I read a few passages from the book.
Two of the popular Buddist meditation techniques - Samatha and Vipassana - provide a great opportunity to train one's mind. Let's learn about them.
Carl Jung in his final work Man and His Symbols provides some interesting explanations which hold key to his other works. I read a few passages for you.
Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah has been a much talked about figure in the subcontinent history. A recent book explores his life a little more.
What does the literature say about the origin and ideology of Taliban? How does impact the life in Afghanistan? I read a few passages from a book on the subject.
Douglas Murray's recent book which talks about the madness prevalent in our society has become a huge hit. I read a few pages from the book.
In this short story, I will bring your attention to the lower castes of Hindus in India.
Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian writer, had quite strong views on Nationalism. I read a few passages from his writings.
Is the Aryan Invasion Theory a myth or plain truth? I explore some literature on the subject.
Pankaj Mishra wrote his first book in 1995 where he described his travel experiences in the small-towns of India. I read through some of the pages.
There was a military coup in Myanmar today. What's the story behind? Let's explore that from the pages of history.
Franz Kafka left behind a large repository of unpublished works which deserve to be read. I read a few really short pieces here.
Kamasutra is a treasure when it comes to learning intimacy. I read the chapter on kissing.
Khushwant Singh's much acclaimed novel still carries a lot of value. I read the first few pages.
In the 50th episode, I bring you some funny short-stories from a book called The Book of Heroic Failures.
In this episode, I read out some excerpts from Shashi Tharoor's book India: From Midnight to the Millenium.
I recite this poem on The Mask. Not the ones we are wearing during the pandemic but the ones we have been wearing all alone.
It's a good idea to discuss some really good ideas out there. Which is exactly what I am doing in this podcast.
Schopenhauer's perspective on writers and authors is quite interesting. Here I narrate one of essays on the subject.
In this episode, I read out a passage from an 18th century book which can help you survive a quarantine.
Mark Twain, perhaps the greatest humourist to have ever lived, also wrote on writing humour. I read from his writings.
I recite the English translation of a Nobel-prize winning poem from Pablo Neruda. It is called "Stationary Point” and was published in Voyages and Homecomings, 1959, in Spanish.
Jonas Jonasson's comic novel The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred Year Old Man covers some of today's world politics. I read a passage from the novel.
Meghna Pant's new book tries to answer this age old question: how does one publish a book in India?
The list of books banned in Pakistan is really long. I try to give you some idea about it in this short podcast.
GK Chesterton wrote some beautiful essays in his lifetime. It would be unfair to not share them. I will bring more essays in the coming podcasts.
There has been a long tradition of philosophers who explored the question of suicide. In this podcast, I read a chapter from Albert Camus's famous work The Myth of Sisyphus.
Sir Roger Scruton, in his book Beauty, explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object — either in art, in nature, or the human form — beautiful. Let's discuss.
One of the greatest novels of the 20th century One Hundred Years of Solitude is a classic example of magical realism. There is the historical element in it, there is magic, and there is a beautiful use of the language with long sentences, powerful imagery and subtle humour. I read the first couple of pages in this episode.
In this episode, I read an excerpt from Clayton Christensen's bestselling book How Will You Measure Your Life.
In this episode, I read out a few pages of Salman Rushdie's Booker-winning novel, Midnight's Children.
Toba Tek Singh is one of the most popular short stories of Manto. I narrate the story in this podcast.
Saadat Hasan Manto was among the most powerful Urdu writers of all times. In this podcast, I read one of his satirical pieces where he is mocking the idea of a religious state.
Narrating the story of Shvetaketu, a young boy who learns some profound lessons on the Hindu ideas of the Self from his father, Rishi Uddalaka.
Ibn Battutah was a traveller from Morocco who travelled across Africa, middle-East, Europe, central Asia, India and China. Let's travel through his travels.
In this episode, I discuss the causes and various theories of rape. Author Tara* Kaushal joins me with her expertise on the subject.
India just celebrated its idependence day and it's worth looking at the history of colonialism in India and how the country got its freedom.
Rabindranath Tagore was a poet, lyricist, novelist, playwright, short story writer, philosopher among many other things. In order to understand the vast body of works that he has left behind, we must learn what it is all about.
Richard Dawkins has spent his life advocating the value of reason as opposed to organised religion. Let's understand his ideas through the books that he has written.
As the monsoon arrives, what books can we look forward to? Especially that so many of us are stuck in our homes, it presents a perfect time to read more books as we watch the rains.
I discuss the books that were banned in India in the last one hundred years and the reasons why they were banned.
We don't witness history. But, through books, we can understand it. Let's visit the life of Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
Upanishads are important texts in Hinduism. In this episode, I discuss the shortest of them, perhaps most complicated. The Aum sound is important part of this text and is used to represent the states of consciousness.
I go through the works of Alain de Botton and discuss some of his books which you should read.
Is morality subjective or objective? Can we have right and wrong answers on morality? I discuss Sam Harris's book The Moral Landscape and try to answer these questions.
Let's understand the philosophy of liberals and conservatives through the lens of morality, psychology, and social behaviour.
Thank goodness! If not for books, we would find it so hard to experience the joys of travelling during the lockdown. But, what to read? Don't worry. We will help you out.