Radio Azim Premji University

The harmonium. So organic and familiar is its sound that few Indians would imagine that its origins lie outside their country. Yet, packed into its compact box-like shape is a fabled history that meanders from 19th century Europe to 20th century colonial India. An instrument invented — and patented — in Europe by a Frenchman, the harmonium was reinvented in colonial Calcutta by a Bengali instrumen...

Twenty Twenty-Three! This was the year of the story. From the story of the Indian republic to the story of Indian cricket… From the beautiful mind of Ghalib to the beating heart of Bhakti… From the curious history of mathematics to the fascinating world of science… From Stories of Change to stories of everyday objects… From stories in the street to stories from our campus… An earful of stories. A...

I don’t know anything like time-beats and metre nor the arithmetic of strings and drums; I don’t know the count of iamb and dactyl. KuDalsangamadeva, as nothing will hurt you I’ll sing as I love. Poet: Basavanna Translator: A K Ramanujan Source: Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole Radio Azim Premji University, 2023 B...

After erecting three pillars The gross, the subtle, and the causal bodies After beating the buffaloes’ rough hide After removing the flesh With the staff of the manifest and the hidden After tanning the hide with the fire of dualism After pouring the caustic juice of quintessence Into the hide-pouch of awareness The blemishes of soul thus destroyed I have come to take the sandals to his feet. Take...

The rich will make temples for Siva. What shall I, a poor man, do? My legs are pillars, the body the shrine the head a cupola of gold. Listen, O Kudalsangamadeva, things standing shall fall, but the moving ever shall stay. Poet: Basavanna English translation by A K Ramanujan | Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole Radi...

Make of my body the beam of a lute of my head the sounding gourd of my nerves the strings of my fingers the plucking rods Clutch me close and play your thirty-two songs KuDalasangamadeva! Poet: Basavanna Translator: A. K. Ramanujan Source: Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole Radio Azim Premji University, 2023 Basava,...

When neither Source nor Substance was, When neither I nor mine, When neither Form nor Formless was, When neither Void was nor non-Void, Nor that which moves or moves not, Then was Guhesvara's votary born. Poet: Allama Prabhu Translator: S.C. Nandimath, Armando Menzes, and R.C. Hiremath Source: Sunya Sampadane Volume 1, Karnataka University, Dharwad Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani For...

To him with no death, No decay No form To the Beautiful One I have given myself, O Mother To him with no place No end No space No signs To the Beautiful One I have given myself, O Mother To him with no clan No country, To the peerless Handsome One I have given myself, O Mother For this reason Channamallikarjuna, the Handsome One Is the man for me. These wasting, dying men — Take them away Throw th...

One who's engaged in work Must even forget the Guru's sight ; The Linga-worship he must forget ... Even if the Jangama stand in front, The obligation must be snapped. Since such work is as good as Heaven, Amaresvaralinga Himself Must do it. Poet: Ayadakki Marayya Translator: S.S. Bhoosnurmath and Armando Menezes Source: Sunya Sampadane Volume 4, Karnataka University, Dharwad Performed by M. D. Pal...

If I am a thief at night That would be a shame To the master who gave me the picklock If I enter houses When people are forgetful That would be a shame To my expertise. I wake up the forgetful, Show them their riches Then bring out my own riches, O Father Lord of Mara, the love god Foe of Mara. Poet: Maritande Translator: H.S. Shivaprakash Source: I Keep Vigil of Rudra, Penguin Classics Performed...

To the utterly at-one with Siva there’s no dawn, no new moon, no noonday, nor equinoxes, nor sunsets, nor full moons; his front yard is the true Banaras, O Ramanatha. Poet: Devara Dasimayya Translator: A. K. Ramanujan Source: Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole Radio Azim Premji University, 2023 Devara Dasimayya, als...

Voteyya Hididu | Kayakave Kailasa - Bhakti Republic OST | M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani In my harlot’s trade Having taken one man’s money I daren’t accept a second man’s, sir. And if I do, They’ll stand me naked and kill me, sir. And if I cohabit with the polluted, My hands nose ears they’ll cut off with a red hot knife, sir. Ah, never, no. Knowing you I will not. My word on it, O Nirlajjeshwar...

They say – All those are high born Who eat sheep, fowl and tiny fish, They say – All those are low born Who eat the cow that rains on Shiva Sacred milk sanctified five times. What the Brahmins had eaten adorned the grass And a dog licked it up and went away. What the cobblers had eaten adorned the grass – Now the Brahmin’s ornament In other words Bags are made of cow’s hide For ghee and for water....

Trailer - Kayakave Kailasa | Bhakti Republic Ep 3 OST by Radio Azim Premji University

Emerging in 12th-century Karnataka, Vachana Sahitya gave voice to the Sharana movement. The Sharanas were ardent devotees of Shiva, spreading their message through vachanas, verses composed and sung in simple Kannada, which were infused with profound thought. They advocated social equality and rejected caste, challenging Sanskrit dominance and the prevailing literary and social norms. Many of the...

The final Campus Cast episode of 2023 sees us headbanging with Bengaluru-based musician Jewel Lasrado. Jewel pours her heart and soul into her music, channelling intense emotions into powerful pop-punk and metal anthems. Learn about her musical journey, from piano lessons to writing, and composing her own music. Plus, stay tuned for APU Voila! Our dedicated news team brings you the latest scoop on...

How often have you heard truck drivers being described as the “backbone of our economy”? India owes a debt of gratitude to truck drivers, who transport goods, medicines, raw material, and other articles to destinations across the length and breadth of the country. To meet these unlikely heroes of our story of change, join Radio Azim Premji University on the road as we visit the truck parking lots...

Back in the day when travel was a luxury unaffordable to many Indians, a boxy contraption that occupied pride of place in the drawing room offered a unique and enjoyable way to travel the length and breadth of India. When you tuned into the airwaves, you were taken for a joyride. The rise of radio listening in India was coincident with seminal moments in our nation’s history. The sounds of India r...

Golgappa, pani puri, pani ke batashe, phulki, puchka… India’s most popular street snack answers to many names. Humble, lightweight, and crunchy, the pani puri has travelled across India with its itinerant vendors. Have you ever wondered who they are? Where do they come from? As they claim their space on the footpaths, do they enjoy the freedom to exercise their right to work? Richa Govil and Puja...

After a break, we are back in business! This episode is presented by an all-new team and we bring you an interesting array of campus happenings in our news bulletin, APU Voila, along with the inspiring story of Padma Pao, an independent musician from Assam. Sikur Padma Pao, who belongs to the Mishing tribe of Assam, is in love with music. Kinshuk Ghosh introduces us to Padma's journey of music, an...

Places tell stories. Often, the story and the place are synonymous, as with Nanjanagudu. This town near Mysuru beside the Kapila river is famous for the Srikanteshwara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, where devotees pray to be cured of disease. The temple earned the reverence of Tipu Sultan, who hailed the deity as ‘Hakim Nanjunda’ for miraculously curing his royal elephant's eye ailment. A variety...

In the Nineties, match fees were fatter and the stakes higher, yet the temptations were darker. The match-fixing scandal exposed an underbelly of bookies, betting and sleaze. At the turn of the century, as heads rolled and reputations were sullied, the game weathered its darkest phase. In the decade of redemption that followed, captains and coaches employed analytics to decide match strategies. In...

We journey to the ancient, timeless city of Varanasi, its ghats washed by the river Ganga, to find ourselves enmeshed in the warp and weft of Kabir’s verse. Kabir the weaver venerates the Almighty without question, but equally, he scorns the hollowness of rituals in society that clutter the path to this sacred union. His poetry is simple and accessible, yet pungent with wit and incisive with insig...

“If I make a paper plane using a piece of paper, and then unfold it, you will be able to fold it exactly as I did because there is a memory of folding left in that piece of paper,” says Prof. Divakaran. But, complains Shraddha, this does not apply to Kanjeevaram sarees! Where she’s going, Shraddha won’t need a saree. A kimono will do just fine. Our friendly mathematics professor and his eager stud...

Ep 1 - Separate Gates, Separate Dressing Rooms It’s a beautiful day for cricket. The turf is green. The radio is crackling. The scoreboard is ticking. The crowd is cheering. And the sun is beginning to set on the British Empire. We travel in time to an age when caste and class divide the pavilion. On and off the field, cricket reflects the discrimination that prevails in colonial societies. Player...