A Book A Day - A Literary Podcast from India

In the coming few episodes I will be narrating a short story in each episode from the book Our Favourite Indian Stories. It is an anthology curated by Khushwant Singh and Neelam Kumar, offering diverse tales from various Indian regions, showcasing unique cultures, human emotions (love, fear, joy), and exploring India's rich tapestry through folklore, history, and daily life, making it a great way...

In the coming few episodes I will be narrating a short story in each episode from the book Our Favourite Indian Stories. It is an anthology curated by Khushwant Singh and Neelam Kumar, offering diverse tales from various Indian regions, showcasing unique cultures, human emotions (love, fear, joy), and exploring India's rich tapestry through folklore, history, and daily life, making it a great way...

In the coming few episodes I will be narrating a short story in each episode from the book Our Favourite Indian Stories. It is an anthology curated by Khushwant Singh and Neelam Kumar, offering diverse tales from various Indian regions, showcasing unique cultures, human emotions (love, fear, joy), and exploring India's rich tapestry through folklore, history, and daily life, making it a great way...

In the coming few episodes I will be narrating a short story in each episode from the book Our Favourite Indian Stories. It is an anthology curated by Khushwant Singh and Neelam Kumar, offering diverse tales from various Indian regions, showcasing unique cultures, human emotions (love, fear, joy), and exploring India's rich tapestry through folklore, history, and daily life, making it a great way...

Man's Search for Meaning  is a book by Viktor Frankl that combines a memoir of his experiences in Nazi concentration camps with an introduction to his psychotherapeutic theory, logotherapy. The core message is that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, which can be found even in the midst of suffering. In this episode, I share the key ideas of Frankl based on a conversation published...

Continuing this week's theme of Books on Meaning of Life, we have got the second part of Leo Tolstoy's A Confession for this episode. The book is a personal treatise of Leo Tolstoy about his search for meaning of life. Tolstoy talks about his early days when and how he left his Christian beliefs in order to pursue many worldly pleasures to get away from ultimate question of life, the questions whi...

Continuing this week's theme of Books on Meaning of Life, we have got Leo Tolstoy's A Confession for this episode. The book is a personal treatise of Leo Tolstoy about his search for meaning of life. Tolstoy talks about his early days when and how he left his Christian beliefs in order to pursue many worldly pleasures to get away from ultimate question of life, the questions which inevitably haunt...

This week I have got the theme of Meaning of Life for you. And we start with the same book called Meaning of Life. Presented by The School of Life this book is a practical guide that helps readers find meaning through areas like love, family, work, and nature. It suggests that meaning comes from a personal and ongoing process of defining and cultivating what is important, rather than a single, uni...

This week I have got the theme of Meaning of Life for you. And we start with the same book called Meaning of Life. Presented by The School of Life this book is a practical guide that helps readers find meaning through areas like love, family, work, and nature. It suggests that meaning comes from a personal and ongoing process of defining and cultivating what is important, rather than a single, uni...

For the final episode on the theme of travel literature on India in English language, I have Joe Roberts's Three Quarters of a Footprint with me today. The book chronicles author's travels throughout southern India. It is a humorous and perceptive account of his journey, blending his encounters with extraordinary people and his growing friendship with the family, all while exploring southern India...

While exploring the theme of travel literature on India in English language, I pick a new book for today's episode. No Full Stops in India by Sir Mark Tully. The title is a metaphor for the idea that India is a complex civilisation that is misunderstood by its Westernised elite, who want to impose Western logic and finality on a country that is constantly in flux and has no "full stops". The book...

While exploring the theme of travel literature on India in English language, I pick a different book for today's episode. Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie. The book is a collection of essays that explores themes of migration, identity, literature, and politics. Through the lens of his own experience as an Indian migrant, Rushdie examines how individuals create "imaginary homelands" in their m...

Continuing the theme of travel literature on India in English language, I narrate an essay by Ruskin Bond in today's episode. It's titled Footloose in Agra and it captures the laid-back, cultural essence of the city in the 1960s, going beyond its famous monuments like the Taj Mahal. The title itself suggests a typical Ruskin Bond-style leisurely exploration of the city, mostly just using a cycle-r...

Starting today, in the next few episodes, I will be narrating sections from the books that focus on the author's travels in India. In today's episode, I pick an essay called Hill Station: Darjeeling. It was written by Jan Morris in 1970 and was later included in her book Among the Cities. The essay beautifully captures the majestic beauty of this little town and how life flows there. About A Book...

The Other in the Mirror is an anthology of short stories from India and Pakistan, edited by Sehyr Mirza. The collection explores themes of compassion, coexistence, and the lingering impact of the 1947 Partition, with a style described as "Manto-esque". It features works by celebrated writers from both countries and aims to foster understanding and empathy across the border. In this episode, I narr...

The Other in the Mirror is an anthology of short stories from India and Pakistan, edited by Sehyr Mirza. The collection explores themes of compassion, coexistence, and the lingering impact of the 1947 Partition, with a style described as "Manto-esque". It features works by celebrated writers from both countries and aims to foster understanding and empathy across the border. In this episode, I narr...

The Other in the Mirror is an anthology of short stories from India and Pakistan, edited by Sehyr Mirza. The collection explores themes of compassion, coexistence, and the lingering impact of the 1947 Partition, with a style described as "Manto-esque". It features works by celebrated writers from both countries and aims to foster understanding and empathy across the border. In this episode, I narr...

The Other in the Mirror is an anthology of short stories from India and Pakistan, edited by Sehyr Mirza. The collection explores themes of compassion, coexistence, and the lingering impact of the 1947 Partition, with a style described as "Manto-esque". It features works by celebrated writers from both countries and aims to foster understanding and empathy across the border. In this episode, I narr...

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese text that serves as both a philosophical guide and a divination tool. In this episode, I shed some light on the text and how it can be used as a divination tool. 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 wis...

In his book What is Tao , Alan Watts draws on his own study and practice to give readers an overview of the concept of the Tao and guidance for experiencing it themselves. This short book explores the wisdom of understanding the way things are and letting life unfold without interference . In this two part series I am narrating the complete contents of the book. About A Book A Day podcast: This po...

In his book What is Tao , Alan Watts draws on his own study and practice to give readers an overview of the concept of the Tao and guidance for experiencing it themselves. This short book explores the wisdom of understanding the way things are and letting life unfold without interference . In this two part series I am narrating the complete contents of the book. About A Book A Day podcast: This po...

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 he...

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 he...

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 he...

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 he...