Of Buddies , Books and Bachpan..

Witness the extremely heart-rending appeal made to Karna by his birth mother Kunti when she meets him as his mother for the first time probably, in part 1 of 'Pancham Sarg' of Dinkar's celebrated epic-poem Rashmirathi. Enjoy the wonderful poetry and rich tapestry of pure Hindi words woven so beautifully by Dinkarji. Do listen.

In 2nd part of 4th 'sarg' of Dinkar's celebrated epic-poem Rashmirathi, let us find out about the 'daan' asked by Indra from Karna and its significance and impact on Karna and the great war of Kurukshetra. Enjoy the amazing poetry penned by Dinkarji. Do listen with us.

Let us enjoy the 4th ‘sarg’ of Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’s magnum opus ‘Rashmirathi’ in which the poet presents yet another facet of Karna and narrates Karna’s meeting with Indra, the King of Gods, an event which alters the course of the great ‘Mahabharat’ war. Enjoy the marvellous poetry and the exhilarating purity of language.

In 2nd part of 3rd chapter or 'sarg' of Dinkar's celebrated epic-poem Rashmirathi, let us listen to the reply given by Karna to Krishna. One cannot help but feel inspired by this facet of Karna, his unshakeable loyalty, his clarity of thought, the principles he stood firm upon. Enjoy the exhilarating language, the magnificent characterisation..

The third part of this epic poem Rashmirathi opens with an appeal to mankind to strive for betterment, for perfection citing example of the Pandav princes returning from their exile to seek their claim of their kingdom. Dinkarji's masterful description of Krishna's viraat swaroop is beyond words. For years, the beautifully penned Krishna's dialogue with Duryodhan and Karna have been recited by tho...

As we read the next part of the second chapter of Rashmirathi, we witness the angst and ire of Parshuram upon learning about Karn's deceit and his curse which later impacted the life of Karna and outcome of Mahabharat War. Let us listen to this heart rending episode.

As we read the second chapter of the timeless and brilliantly penned epic poem Rashmirathi, we witness the life changing and defining experience which later impacted the life of Karna and outcome of Mahabharat War, as he tries to learn the art of war and weapons at the feet of Lord Parashuram, the warrior sage.

Dinkar's celebrated epic-poem Rashmirathi celebrates Karna, son of Surya, the Sun God. Part 1 which we read today describes the unjust and unfair treatment meted out to Karna when he challenged Arjun, the warrior Pandava prince. The poet shows the mirror to the guardians of the social order through these powerful lines. Enjoy the hues of human emotions, the exhilarating language, the characterisat...

What thoughts the great poet Shri Ramdhari Singh Dinkarji have in his mind when he wrote the famous epic-poem 'Rashmirathi'? Listen to episode 1 of season 2 as we introduce Dinkarji and his path breaking 'Rashmirathi' which is so relevant even now.

We celebrate our 25th episode today as we walk down the memory lane and remember the wonderful satires penned by yet another literary giants Madhya Pradesh is proud of - Shri Sharad Joshi. Today, we bring to you his remarkable work ' जीप पर सवार इल्लियाँ ' which is as relevant today as it was decades ago. Do listen.

As we explore new authors and new books for our next project we came upon this gem by noted Satirist and humorist Shri Harishankar Parsai from our very own Madhya Pradesh !

After walking with the author Shri Amritlal Vegad along Narmada from Jabalpur to Amarkantak and then to Bharuch, through dense forests of Mandla and Dindori, arid Shulpani bush, revelling in the enthralling beauty of Dhuandhar and Sahastradhara falls, admiring the beautiful sangams and ghats, experiencing the colourful lives of villages enroute, replete with music and art, it is with full hearts,...

Today, along with author Shri Amritlal Vegadji we switch direction and start walking towards the 'udgam' after crossing Reva Sagar Sangam and what a wonderful journey this has been for all of us!

As we bow our heads and offer prayers at the confluence of Narmada with Arabian Sea at Reva Sagar Sangam along with the author Shri Amritlal Vegad, our hearts overflow with gratitude , joy and peace. Let us celebrate this joyous culmination together.

As we walk or rather sail onwards from Kabirbad towards Vimaleshwar, it is now a time for reflection and gratitude towards all who made this journey so enjoyable.

Our 'shabd parikrama' of Narmada resumes from Shulpaneshwar as we walk towards the sea, alongwith the author Shri Amritlal Vegadji. As always, the journey is replete with interesting encounters with village folk, this time in Gujarat. Do walk with us.

As we come close to the sea, this episode where we are spending some days at ancient Shulpaneshwar temple, is extremely special because this historic place dating back to Mahabharat period no longer exists. Most of the notorious Shulpani jhadi along with this beautiful temple have submerged in deep waters of Narmada post construction of Sardar Sarovar Project.

After walking for miles in hostile Shulpani Jhadi region, with great relief we manage to reach the revered Shulpaneshwar temple safely today as we walk with author Shri Amritlal Vegadji along the banks of Narmada.

In this episode, the author Shri Amritlal Vegad describes his unforgettable experience of walking through the most difficult terrain of Narmada valley and thrilling encounters with Bhils of this region.

Let us walk together along the banks of Narmada with the author Shri Amritlal Vegad through Rajghat and Dharmapuri, the birthplace of Roopmati as we cross over from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra where an entirely new terrain and new experiences beckon.

How blessed we feel as we experience Omkareshwar where a young boy met his Guru and set on an incredible spiritual journey to transform his country through his philosophy and work. As we travel from Omkareshwar towards Khalghat, myriad encounters with holy men, wise village folks and of course, Divine Narmada meandering through forests and fields greet us like always.

After a brief pause, today we resume our journey with Shri Amritlal Vegadji along the Narmada river from Handiya, the mid-point of Narmada river and reach Omkareshwar, which is considered as the Holiest 'Tirth' along the banks of Narmada. As always, heartwarming and rich encounters with simple village folks and natural beauty greeted us at every turn. Join us on this beautiful spiritual quest.

Let us take pause in our journey along Narmad with Amrutlal ji and take a moment to celebrate Amrut Mahotsav of India's Independence with another Ratna of Jabalpur Smt Subhadra Kumari Chauhanji as we read together her immortal poem 'झाँसी की रानी' as our homage to all those brave souls who gifted us a free India.

After an arduous but spiritually uplifting and enchanting journey along the holy Narmada, we reach the 'Nabhi sthan' or centre of Narmada, as we begin walking from Hoshangabad towards Handiya, with author Shri Amritlal Vegad.

As we continue walking along the fertile banks of Narmada, beautiful rivers with minds of their own offer us unexpected challenges. Our journey in this episode is also peppered generously with interesting people as we reach Hoshangabad, an important milestone in our parikrama.