Stories From India

This week, we’re back into the #Ramayana. We’ll talk about two events King #Dasharath was involved in that had a big impact on #Ram’s life. We’ll see why it’s a good idea to wear a protective orange vest when walking in a hunting zone. We’ll also see that if you are making unconditional promises to someone, you should be careful to see who else is listening in on your conversation. The character t...

This week, we’ll do a folk tale from #MadhyaPradesh, about a magic cow that makes gold every time it goes to the bathroom. And a bowl that can make any food appear! The character this week is someone whom we’ve encountered a lot on this podcast. It’s my dad! #Brahma the creator. We'll encounter a time-travel paradox, quite similar to the one in the #Terminator movies! Transcript and show notes : h...

This week, we're back into the world of #Akbar and #Birbal. We’ll see how one can stay warm despite being in the middle of a freezing lake all night, and also see what the term “slow cooker” really meant in medieval India The character this week is the sister of Ram and Laxman. Most people are unaware of her and for a good reason. She doesn’t appear in most versions of the #Ramayana Transcript and...

This week, we’ll continue the story of Prahlad and his evil dad and evil aunt. If you haven't heard the previous episode you should, because we left it on a cliffhanger! The character this week has a very special power. In every fight, half of his opponent’s powers are magically transferred over to him. This makes him impossible to defeat. Except by sniper attack! Transcript and show notes Music:...

This week, we’ll meet a killer Dad and a killer Aunt from hell! Literature is full of evil Aunts - there's Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha, Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia, and the aunts from James and the Giant Peach to name just a few, but none of these is as evil as the one we are about to meet. I mean yes, Aunt Agatha eats broken bottles and Aunt Petunia makes Harry live on scraps, and James' aunts m...

This week, we'll talk about #TenaliRaman. We have previously covered #Tenali in episodes 2 and 3, where we saw him as a horrible person who treated animals poorly for selfish reasons. Today, we will cover 2 more stories that will show you that #Tenali Raman was, in fact, a horrible person who treated everyone - animals and people and goddesses poorly for selfish reasons. The character this week is...

This week we'll talk about two stories from the #JatakaTales. Both are about clever monkeys outwitting some kind of water monster. One of them claims to be a cardiologist expert enough to perform surgery on himself. The other is as observant as Sherlock Holmes and as resourceful as MacGyver. The character this week is a giant crane. The bird kind. not the mechanical construction equipment kind. Tr...

This week we'll talk about a folk tale from #Kashmir, about laughing fish and metaphors gone wild! The character this week is a lady who's turned to stone! Transcript and show notes Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni  #folktale #Ramayana #Ahalya

Today we continue the #Ramayana, where you'll see why it’s useful to have an angry tour guide with you. They'll teach you how to have your weapons magically appear whenever you want. Thor could do that with a hammer, but this one is a whole arsenal! And if that isn't enough the Tour guide can also play matchmaker. The character this week is a real person who is a legend. He's responsible for Taxic...

Today we continue the #Ramayana, where we'll see a clash between two titans. One of them gets angry very easily, and the other has a magical wooden lightsaber! The character this week will prove why your home security system is not very effective against diseases! Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=241 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni #indianmythology...

Today's story is from the Jataka tales. It's a story that may read off as an inspiration for the biggest retailer in the world. It’s about what you can achieve with very little. All it takes is a bit of determination and planning. And it doesn't hurt to have luck on your side! The character this week is the goddess of Bees, Wasps, and Hornets! Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=2...

We're back to Krishna this week. We'll encounter a nurse who could just be a regular nurse. Except she's a shape-shifter. And she doesn't want to protect the baby, instead, she wants to do exactly the opposite. We'll also see how the very first umbrella was made. Using a mountain. The character this week is a snake that can control the flow of time, by simply stretching or un-stretching its body!...

If you are wondering about the title - yes this *is* a mashup of a creepy story of a doll coming to life and Ali baba and the 40 Thieves(if you're heard that one from the Arabian Nights). The character this week is a mountain of a mountain, that's also the center of the universe! Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=176 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni #...

No, it's not Harry Potter. Its Hari - a name for Krishna who is another avatar of Vishnu. We have encountered Krishna once before as Subhadra's brother. Krishna's life is roughly divided into 4 phases. The first one(which we will cover in today's episode) paradoxically doesn't feature Krishna himself much, its more about his parents, his uncle, his foster parents. The character this week is an old...

I know we usually meet on Sundays but I thought I would do a holiday special. Given the season I have a story for you about an old man with a white beard who is very generous and gives out gifts. I am not talking about the gentleman who lives at the north pole but rather about a poor old grass cutter in the Indian subcontinent. Transcript and notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=162 Music: https://www...

The second Akbar and Birbal episode! This week we’ll continue with a couple of Akbar and Birbal stories. You’ll see how in the absence of magnifying glasses and a chemistry lab to test fingerprints and footprints and extensive books on ash deposits, Sherlock Holmes could still have done a solid job by simply applying psychology. The character this week is a tree. The tree of life. It's magical, it...

The very first Akbar and Birbal episode! The character this time is a boar that can fly, swim and change size. Transcript and notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=150 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni #indianmythology #akbarbirbal #maheshraj #varaha

We're back to Vikram and Betaal this week, where a prince proves how data collection can make you successful! The character this week is strong-armed, but he's not at all like he's shown in the movies. Transcript and notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=141 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni #indianmythology #vikramaditya #betaal #vikramandbetaal #swordfight #shravanabelagola...

We'll continue the story of the Ramayana, where you'll find out how you can expand your kingdom by delegating the task to your horse. The character this week is a Queen who defied all kinds of stereotypes in defending her people. Transcript and notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=134 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com #sfipodcast #naradamuni #ramayana #dasharath #ranilaxmibai

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! My way of saying thanks to y'all is this bonus episode. Find out all about a father and son meeting gone wrong. And what you should do when an invited guest arrives just as you're sitting down to a big family dinner(Spoiler alert: let them in, they might come bearing divine gifts) Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=127 Music: https://www.purple-p...

The beginning of the Ramayana! The character this week abducted a prince, so she wouldn't have to marry his cousin Transcript and show notes Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

The very first Vikram and Betaal story! The character this week once stood up to Alexander the Great Transcript and show notes Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tales of Lions and Rabbits from the Panchatantra and Jataka Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=100 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tenali Raman stories - part 2. Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=94 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Twitter: @sfipodcast

#Halloween Bonus episode! Listen to the #MarathiFolkTale about an old woman who tricks wild animals using a pumpkin! Thank you for all your support! Transcript and show notes: https://sfipodcast.com/?p=81 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Twitter: @sfipodcast