Mark Twain once said, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Banaras which is called by different names such as Kashi and Varanasi is said to be a timeless city. It is also called Avimuktaka, the sacred space never to be forsaken by Shiva. It is believed to be the original ground created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Those who die here are guaranteed liberation from the repeated cycle of birth and death. Manikarnika which is the chief burning ghat on the Ganges bank in Banaras is never to be without a body burning on the pyre. It is said to be every Hindu’s duty to make sure Manikarnika never goes idle! Considered to be one the holiest Hindu cities, this town breathes divine bliss. And today on the Indian Podcast, we will be talking about the living history of Banaras which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world with Ms. Pooja Sodhi, who is a seasoned marketing professional and a blogger. She has been studying Indian traditions and is a culture enthusiast and writes about them on her blog poojasodhi.com
All content for The Indian Podcast is the property of The Indian Podcast and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Mark Twain once said, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Banaras which is called by different names such as Kashi and Varanasi is said to be a timeless city. It is also called Avimuktaka, the sacred space never to be forsaken by Shiva. It is believed to be the original ground created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Those who die here are guaranteed liberation from the repeated cycle of birth and death. Manikarnika which is the chief burning ghat on the Ganges bank in Banaras is never to be without a body burning on the pyre. It is said to be every Hindu’s duty to make sure Manikarnika never goes idle! Considered to be one the holiest Hindu cities, this town breathes divine bliss. And today on the Indian Podcast, we will be talking about the living history of Banaras which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world with Ms. Pooja Sodhi, who is a seasoned marketing professional and a blogger. She has been studying Indian traditions and is a culture enthusiast and writes about them on her blog poojasodhi.com
Zardozi: The Story of Golden Thread - Dr. Charu Smita Gupta (Anthropologist)
The Indian Podcast
42 minutes 26 seconds
3 years ago
Zardozi: The Story of Golden Thread - Dr. Charu Smita Gupta (Anthropologist)
I’m sure most of you must have heard of Zardozi embroidery. Today this craft has become a mainstay in couture and bridal costumery and can be afforded by many. But there was a time when only the kings and the royals could adorn garments embroidered in Zardozi as it was made using fine gold, silver and precious stones. This magnificent art of metallic embellishment on fabrics added glitter, glamour, opulence and power to their wardrobe. Though this craft was prevalent in India even in ancient times but Zardoz as a class of artisans along with other artisans came to India only in the twelfth century along with the sultanate conquerors. And by the Mughal period, this craft reached its zenith. There were many times this craft lost its patronage and that led to its decline but it always found patronage somewhere else and again became popular. In this episode, listen to Dr. Charu Smita Gupta talking about the historical development of Zardozi in India and how it’s material was transformed over time to make it affordable for the common man. Dr. Charu Smita Gupta is an anthropologist and museologist with a diverse professional experience in the field of cultural traditions of India. She has also written several books including one on our todays topic - 'Zardozi Glittering Gold Embroidery'.
The Indian Podcast
Mark Twain once said, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Banaras which is called by different names such as Kashi and Varanasi is said to be a timeless city. It is also called Avimuktaka, the sacred space never to be forsaken by Shiva. It is believed to be the original ground created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Those who die here are guaranteed liberation from the repeated cycle of birth and death. Manikarnika which is the chief burning ghat on the Ganges bank in Banaras is never to be without a body burning on the pyre. It is said to be every Hindu’s duty to make sure Manikarnika never goes idle! Considered to be one the holiest Hindu cities, this town breathes divine bliss. And today on the Indian Podcast, we will be talking about the living history of Banaras which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world with Ms. Pooja Sodhi, who is a seasoned marketing professional and a blogger. She has been studying Indian traditions and is a culture enthusiast and writes about them on her blog poojasodhi.com
