Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria

"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 languages started to grow apart. This week, in the third episode of the series, India's Linguistic Heritage, discover the story of the Partition which went unnoticed; that between Hindi and Urdu, and why separating these two any further would be like cutting the Umbilical cord. Special thanks to Izer, who had rendered a few lines of a popular song for this episode, but it could not be released owing to copyright challenges. Do check out his podcast, Artists Talk $hit, a conversational podcast where every week, Indie artists come together to talk about stuff they wish someone had told them when they were starting out https://open.spotify.com/show/1l6ndDmuSuEInlzeUZ2Npy"

Explore the fascinating world of the Ramayana, with its hundreds, maybe thousands, of versions across cultures. Discover the significance of varied interpretations and how they shape storytelling. From a gripping tale of Ram’s lost ring to cultural reflections sparked by the iconic 1980s TV series, each narrative offers unique insights. Delve into the controversies surrounding the epic’s origins and political implications, showcasing its enduring relevance in global discourse.

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 Sanskrit, the origin of us Indians and what it tells us about race and languages. Tune in, and discover, how using a combination of genetics and linguistics, the pointlessness of India's North South divide. Check out the other episodes of "The Kashmir Diaries" Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life:- https://ivm.today/3o0jE1G Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas:- https://ivm.today/3hECuat Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories:- https://ivm.today/2Vx8ANG Shahtoosh: The Wild Story of the World's Most Expensive and Illegal Fabric: https://ivm.today/3E22Z2s You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 high end clients. Tune in, and discover what lessons the story of Shahtoosh holds for travellers like you and me. Check out the other episodes of "The Kashmir Diaries" Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life:- https://ivm.today/3o0jE1G Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas:- https://ivm.today/3hECuat Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories:- https://ivm.today/2Vx8ANG You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"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 interesting experiments in local heritage conservation, housed in a 500-year-old home. Special thanks to Antara Chatterjee from Little Local for providing detailed information about Zbayul and answering queries. You can follow Project Zbayul on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/projectzbayul/?hl=en Little Local https://www.instagram.com/little.local/?hl=en and Roots Ladakh https://www.instagram.com/roots_ladakh/?hl=en"

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, and what lessons it holds for us as travellers today. Check out the other episodes of "The Kashmir Diaries" Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life:- https://ivm.today/3o0jE1G Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas:- https://ivm.today/3hECuat Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories:- https://ivm.today/2Vx8ANG You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Kashmiri carpet weaving is emblematic of the languishing state of the arts in India. Check out the other episodes of "The Kashmir Diaries" Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life:- https://ivm.today/3o0jE1G Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas:- https://ivm.today/3hECuat Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories:- https://ivm.today/2Vx8ANG You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 parallels to the Kashmiri people themselves. Tune in, and discover how the story of the Hangul and Kashmiris are intertwined, and how they gives us the manual of life. Check out the other episodes on Beneath the Veneer: Jordan Red Sea, Tintin, and Sunken Tanks:- https://ivm.today/3du4fAE Jordan, Civilization, and Buri Nazar! :- https://ivm.today/3hp1qDi Amman, Ashok Chakra and Swastik :- https://ivm.today/3wI7pao You can check previous episodes of Dark Tourism on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of how, just 3 years ago, the rock carving led to a stunning scientific discovery. Tune in, and uncover the story of this discovery which was hiding in plain sight, and what it teaches us about the respecting ancient knowledge systems and wisdom. Check out the other episodes on Beneath the Veneer: Jordan Red Sea, Tintin, and Sunken Tanks:- https://ivm.today/3du4fAE Jordan, Civilization, and Buri Nazar! :- https://ivm.today/3hp1qDi Amman, Ashok Chakra and Swastik :- https://ivm.today/3wI7pao You can check previous episodes of Dark Tourism on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 most unique museum, situated in a village abandoned for the last 30 years, and understand the hard truths about living along the border and losing your homeland. Check out the other episodes on Beneath the Veneer: Jordan Red Sea, Tintin, and Sunken Tanks:- https://ivm.today/3du4fAE Jordan, Civilization, and Buri Nazar! :- https://ivm.today/3hp1qDi Amman, Ashok Chakra and Swastik :- https://ivm.today/3wI7pao You can check previous episodes of Dark Tourism on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.