History repeated

Many episodes discuss the life and teachings of Buddha

India's history is filled with rich cultures, identities, religions and peoples. These are stories and narratives of lands, groups and age-old schools of thought that deserve a worthy retelling. This is where Echoes of India comes in, a history podcast hosted by independent researcher and historian Anirudh Kanisetti. From tales of the ancient Tamil trading city of Puhar to historic scenes from the region of Ujjain, this podcast captures the essence of ancient India, the many forgotten histories and cultures of its citizens and significant moments that have shaped the world today.

Started in 2018, the podcast is now in its third season. "When I decided to do this, I researched a bit to find other Indian history podcasts. I couldn't find many good Indian ones out there; at least those that chronicle the complexities of ancient India and make you feel like you're listening to a story of actual human beings. I thought if it isn't out there already, why don't I do it myself," says Kanisetti. The idea was to make Indian history accessible; to tell it in a way that wasn't done often.

Anirudh Kanisetti

For us, the podcast came as a nice surprise. Although the subject matter might seem dry at first glance, Kanisetti's narration creates intrigue that hooks the listener till the very end. The writing part is a job well done, as it pays attention to detail and we could tell that research has played a key role in collating all the stories. At several moments throughout the series, Kanisetti employs the talents of voice actors, to give the stories more body and excitement, with ambient sounds that compliment the audio. While the podcast will attract all ages, we recommend that your younger ones tune in intently, for an interesting 30 minutes.

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