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PODCAST

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria

Postcards from Nowhere is a travel podcast that takes you on journeys exploring culture, history, food and people in the form of stories. With over a decade of travel stories in his kitty, Utsav Mamoria narrates the stories of the strange, obscure and fascinating things about the world, often interspersed with practical tips and deep realizations, which would shape the way you travel. Tune in to the new episode every Thursday.

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

8:55

Partitions Unknown: Hindi, Urdu and the Umbilical Cord

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/11/11

"In 12th century Delhi, a new language began to emerge, which was initially known as Dehlavi. Parallelly, the political landscape of India changed, with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and the arrival of the Mughals. With them came Persian, and quickly established itself as the language of power. Over time, a new language emerged, a combination of Dehlavi and Persian. But the arrival of the British changed everything, and through a maze of social, religious and political factors, the two

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11:47

Reclaiming India's Linguistic Heritage: 300 Ramayanas?

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/11/04

"In 2008, a quasi political organisation asked for the removal of an academic paper from the syllabus of Delhi University. They eventually succeeded in 2011. But what was in that paper that had 'hurt' sentiments? This week, in the second episode of India's linguistic heritage, and on the occasion of Diwali, we dive into a simple question: How many Ramayans? Three hundred or Three thousand? Which is the original Ramayan? Tune in, and discover the mind boggling universe of Ramayans, spread across

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9:00

The Hidden Story Of Sanskrit, And The North - South...

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/10/28

In the summer of 1420, following a strange series of events, the migration of a community of people started from a border town between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, to a village in Karnataka. The village eventually came to have a unique claim to fame: It became known as India's Sanskrit village, where every resident spoke Sanskrit. And yet, lesser known is the story of another language that is spoken there. This week, starting a new series, India's linguistic heritage, we dive into the hidden story of

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10:01

Shahtoosh: The Wild Story of the World's Most...

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/10/21

A customs inspection at the Switzerland Italy Border, murders in the Tibetan highlands and a weaving workshop in Srinagar - Kashmir. What connects these disparate places? This week, in the tenth episode of Kashmir Diaries, Utsav brings to you the wild story of Shahtoosh, the most expensive fabric in the world, and completely illegal. Straddling three countries, this story has an innocent animal at the centre of it: The Tibetan Antelope, entwined in an underground nexus of producers, distributors and

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8:30

Zbayul: The Invisible Village of Ladakh

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/10/14

"In 1948, as India was fighting Pakistan in Kashmir, the Pakistani army reached this village but bypassed it completely. Simply because hidden behind a gorge, with just one access point, the village was invisible to them. Legend has it that when the army of a neighbouring kingdom tried to invade the village, they were greeted with huge boulders falling off the gorge, which forced the army to retreat. This week, in the ninth episode of Kashmir diaries, we travel to Ladakh and witness one of the most

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7:44

Sheshnag, Deadly Hikes and A Thousand Year Old Tradition

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/10/07

In the narrative of Kashmir, what often lies forgotten is the origin story. What could a Naga king who ruled thousands of years ago, have in common with a humble Gujjar-Bakrwal man, and what did they have to do with the origin of Kashmir? This week, in the eighth episode of Kashmir Diaries, Utsav narrates the story of a deadly hike at Sheshnag lake, which ended in a rather peculiar way. Tune in, to understand the thousand year old tradition which connected the Naga King and the Gujjar-Bakrwal man,

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14:05

The Vanishing Art of Kashmiri Carpet Weaving

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/09/30

What started out 600 years ago in Persia (present day Iran) thrived to become the crown jewel of the Kashmiri arts. However, the art of Kashmiri carpet weaving is now vanishing, on the brink of extinction. This week, in the seventh episode of Kashmir Diaries, we meet Rafiq Ahmed Shah, a 73 year old, fourth generation artist who is fighting to keep this art alive, and is probably the last patron of the art in all of India. Tune in, for an intimate conversation with Rafiq, and how the decline of

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8:11

Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/09/23

About 100,000 years ago, a mutation in a family of deers gave rise to 3 distinct sub-species which came to be known by the geographical regions they travelled to - Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Xinjiang in China and Kashmir in India. But what does that deer have to do with the Kashmiri people? This week, in the sixth episode of Kashmir Diaries, I bring to you the story of the Hangul, the Kashmir Red Deer, which is also the state animal. This critically endangered species, endemic to Kashmir has strange

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8:44

Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/09/16

In 1960, the Indian Archeaologist T N Khazanchi, in a painstaking excavation spanning 11 years, discovered proof of 4 distinct human cultures beginning from the Aceramic Neolithic to the Historical era, which meant that the Kashmir Valley had been inhabited for at least 11,000 years. In the excavation, they also found a stone carving, which did not merit enough attention. This week, in the fifth episode of The Kashmir Diaries, I take you to Burzahom, the site of the excavation to tell you the story

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10:19

Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/09/09

In the Indo-Pak War of 1971, as the two countries fought bitterly, the fate of a few people change irrevocably - Overnight, they found themselves to be citizens of a new nation. This week, in the fourth episode of The Kashmir Diaries, Utsav takes you to Kargil, which overnight became a household name thanks to the war in 1999. But in the narrative of this most recent war, lies forgotten the story of Hundarman and those few people whose lives changed in 1971. Tune in, and explore the story of the

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74:54

2 Years of PFN and A New Manifesto

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/09/02

100 Episodes - A reason to celebrate, a reason to reflect. This week, we don’t have a postcard, but a long conversation about travel. Utsav speaks with Chuck, the host of Getting Meta, about slow travel, the evolution of Postcards from Nowhere, and what drives him to travel in the first place. This conversation is about the person, beyond the podcast. Tune in, and discover the new Manifesto of the show, and get a glimpse of what’s in store for the coming weeks.You can check previous episodes of The

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7:07

Gujjar-Bakarwals: The Forgotten People of Kashmir

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/08/26

They form 12% of the population of J & K, and yet their story is missing from the larger discourse of Kashmir. The Gujjar-Bakarwals are the nomadic pastoralists who migrated from Rajasthan in the 6th Century, and continue to live off the land. This week, in the third episode of the Kashmir Diaries, we delve into the uncertain future of the community, caught in the web of nationalism, religion, environmental conversation and a disappearing lifestyle. Tune in, and understand the uncomfortable

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7:46

The Art of Writing Time: Persian and Sanskrit...

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/08/19

Two systems of writing time developed independently: One in Kashmir, and the other in Kerala. But they developed in completely different cultural milieus. And its all connected to the parking lot of Maulana Azad Medical college in Delhi. This week, in the second episode of The Kashmir Diaries, we delve into the art of Persian and Sanskrit chronograms, which have been used for centuries for everything from poetry to statecraft to science. Tune in, and explore the beauty of these chronograms, and how

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7:06

The Last Rosewater Maker of Srinagar

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/08/12

What could be common between the towns in the Isfahan province of Iran, and the city of Srinagar in Kashmir? And how could they show us two ends of the same spectrum? This week, starting a new series, The Kashmir Diaries, we travel to Srinagar and meet the last craftsman of a dying art - Rosewater making. But there is more to rosewater than being a beauty product and a food additive. There is a much richer legacy which is also dying with it. Tune in, and discover the story of the man behind it all,

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6:42

Navajo People, Cosmic Order and Hózhó

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/08/05

In a corner of northwestern United States, live a group of Native American people known as the Navajo, who in their language has no word for religion or art. But they have a very unique philosophy which encompasses both - Hózhó. This week, join me in understanding the life philosophy of the Navajo people, and what lessons it holds for us - as travelers and as humans. Tune in to discover how we should live in an increasingly globalized world, one threatened by pandemics and climate change.Check out

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7:17

Petra, Awe and Hymns of Nature

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/07/29

In 1845, a young student at the University of Oxford wrote a poem that led him to win the Newdigate Prize. His poem was about a place he never visited. 130 years later, a nurse from New Zealand traveling through this very place, fell in love with a man, married, and started living with him - in a cave!This week, in the fifth episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to Petra in Jordan and experience the hymn of nature which has been playing since the advent of time. Tune in, and discover how the

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8:10

The Bedouins of Jordan, Hospitality and Karam

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/07/22

In the arid desert landscapes of Jordan, amongst the Balga tribe of Bedouins, is the famous story of the Ibn Khaltan, a man known all over for his incredible generosity, bordering on madness. This week, in the fourth episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to Little Petra in Jordan, and understand the intimate aspects of Bedouin hospitality. Tune in, and discover how Utsav had a very memorable experience of this hospitality, and how the bediouns know something, much beyond religion, which could be

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7:00

Amman, Ashok Chakra and Swastik

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/07/15

What could a statue of an Islamic ruler in the Umayyad dynasty near Jordan have in common with Ashoka Pillar in Sarnath India? How does Jordan, a country with a 95% Islamic population, have aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism in its architecture. This week, in the third episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to Amman in Jordan and Jericho in Palestine, and uncover the fascinating story of cultural migrations. Tune in, to discover how the Swastik, an inherently Indian symbol, has mysteries and is

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7:56

Jordan, Civilization and Buri Nazar!

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/07/08

These structures are found all over the world right from Europe all the way to South Korea. They are seen in India too, 2,200 of them, but I can assure you that none of you have seen it. This week, in the second episode of Beneath the Veneer, we travel to one such structure in Jordan, and how it sends us on a meandering journey to discover the secrets of human civilisation. Tune in, to discover what these structures are, where you can see them in India and how they are linked to the Indian national

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8:11

Red Sea, Tintin and Sunken Tanks

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria ·

2021/07/01

What could the iconic cartoon character Tintin possibly have in common with a marine biologist which kickstarted the global environmental movement. And what could both of them possibly have to do with a small nation in West Asia? This week, starting a new series, Beneath the Veneer, we travel to the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, where Utsav takes you through his first experience of encountering the Red Sea. Tune in, and discover what secrets the ocean has in store for us.Check out the other episodes

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231 results

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