The podcast Nelada Nambike is posted every Wednesday at 1pm on the Eedina YouTube channel. |Photo courtesy: Special Arrangement
Sarojanma, a street vendor in Bangalore, has a bedridden son who she must take care of. Asked about her faith in God, she improvised a song in Telugu, angry at God for why He did this to her, lamenting the sins she has committed, and wondering why good people are punished. Ta. Interestingly, although she has doubts and is angry, she does not reject God.
Her interview will be part of Nelada, a series that explores the diversity of everyday practices and beliefs in ordinary people’s faith and religion, helmed by academic Janaki Nair, journalist CG Manjula, and activist Anupama Hegde. It’s part of a new podcast series called Nambike.
The podcast is posted every Wednesday at 1pm and is hosted by the Eedina YouTube channel. The first episode featuring Sarojanma was aired on January 15th.
The same team spearheaded the ‘Alphabet’ series, which will bring readers the rich diversity of the state to commemorate the golden 70th anniversary of the naming of Karnataka under the Bakhtva Karnataka flag in 2024. Provided insight into heritage.
“This series explores the diversity of everyday practices of faith and its place in our state’s culture. We do not interpret these testimonies as such. We do not We only ask people about their beliefs and their practices. We hope this records changes in beliefs, beliefs and styles of piety,” Professor Nile said.
The trio has already recorded nearly 30 episodes, speaking primarily to members of the public of all faiths and genders in the Old Mystle area, but also intends to speak to people in other parts of the state.
Professor Nile said that from the 30 episodes he has recorded so far, he has noticed that very few people rely on scripture or the Bible as their source of faith. Faith is often experienced deeply and serves as a source of comfort, helping people come to terms with their reality and life’s expectations, she said.
“There is no doubt that styles of worship have increased and spread significantly. The influences are many, most of them external factors such as media and commercialization, and others such as Varamahalakshmi festival and imitation of one’s neighbours. As an urban historian, I also like shared spaces and public spaces. “We thought that the best use would be for some form of worship, rather than for leisure, play and recreation like a park or Maidan. That seems to be the preference of South Asians,” Professor Nair said, adding that the series expected to document these changes both between generations and within their own lifetimes.
issued – January 20, 2025 2:05 PM IST
