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 chau…

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 contactkalampe…

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 fa…

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…

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 centur…

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…

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…

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.