Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
Bird Podcast on Audubon’s List
is on Audubon's list of top podcasts If you like parrots and parakeets, this one is for you. Picked by Audubon Bird Podcast is picked by Audubon as one of the top birding podcasts in the world. Read about the full Audubon list here and below is what they say about us Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan Every other week; about 60 minutes For an international perspective, try this India-based podcast. Host Shoba Narayan is a journalist and author with a wide variety of interests, and her podcast likewise tackles different [...]
How to bargain on Commercial Street
Bangalore Talkies: How to Bargain on Commercial Street Shoba Narayan relates how she finally rolled up her sleeves and decided to wade into that murky territory usually ruled by the ubiquitous Indian grandmother—bargaining The thought occurred as I eyed a stunning silver dinner set in a jewellery store on Commercial Street in Central Bangalore. Plates, tumblers, katoris, the works. The slight smile on the wizened shopkeeper’s face suggested that he was willing to bargain. But where to begin? Middle age brings many challenges: home, job, mortgage and the realization that you can actually learn [...]
Internship opportunity
Are you interested in nature? Are you interested in birds? Would you like to meet and work with amazing authors, naturalists, bird-watchers and the birding community? Are you interested in podcasts, telling stories and broadcast journalism in general? If so, this (unpaid) internship may be a good fit for you. My friend, Ulhas Anand and I do a Bird Podcast. So far, it has been sporadic but we would like to scale it up. For that, we need your help. If you are a journalism student who would like to work on this live project, please apply by writing [...]
Food & Faith in Chennai.
Chennai alert I am coming to Chennai. City where I grew up and still leave my heart. Corny I know, but true :) On Friday, Feb 19 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, I am in conversation with the talented Ms. Govind about Food and Faith. It is hosted by the Chennai International Centre. The venue for the talk is the Madras School of Economics auditorium on Gandhi Mantapam road behind Anna Centenary Library. It is a hybrid event in that while the auditorium can hold 250 people, only 100 will be allowed on a first-come basis. If this [...]
Food and Faith: at the BIC
Here is the launch of my book at one of my favourite platforms: the Bangalore International Centre. Home team, or home pitch, call it what you will.
New column: Bangalore Talkies
New column for Hindustan Times: Bangalore Talkies When R. Sukumar calls and asks me to write a column, I don't say No. This is the result. For Hindustan Times's new Bangalore edition e-paper (for now). Here it is. And what a pleasure to get back to writing for you, Sukumar. What makes Bangalore Special What makes Bangalore special? Amongst those who live in-- and love their cities-- and the two don’t necessarily go together-- there is often a somewhat trite parlour-game that is played, often after copious amounts of alcohol. The game relates to identity, of a [...]
Feature in the New Indian Express about Food & Faith
Seeking piety in prasadams By Anushree Madhavan Express News Service Through her latest release, Food & Faith, author Shoba Narayan journeys across 15 temples of India to reflect on how food can be a path to find your faith Published: 21st January 2021 06:43 AM | Last Updated: 21st January 2021 06:43 AM CHENNAI: Rasam saadam has been a staple, and my favourite, from my early childhood years. But if I had to pick one rasam saadam that left me wanting for more, it would be the one I had at the Shringeri Sharadamba [...]
Conversation between two foodies for The Hindu Weekend
If you ask me where home is, I will say Chennai. It is the city in which I spent the first and formative years of my life and it still is what I would call hime. I grew up reading The Hindu. The late great NMN, the Hindu's music critic lived down the road from us in Indiranagar. Every evening, I would watch him walk down our road, while we played gully cricket. Tall and lanky with his short wife, "Mami" as we called her following him, he was off to a concert. Rosella Stephen has made The Hindu [...]
About Pongal for The Guardian UK
Pongal is comfort food for south India’s harvest season. Is is both a harvest festival, which starts today, and the rice and dal breakfast dish eaten to mark its arrivalShoba Narayan
Food & Faith: Conversation with Amit Varma
Amit Varma's podcast is hugely popular all over India and indeed the world. So I was delighted to be in conversation with him. Amit's questions reflect his deep curiosity about a variety of subjects. His insightful prodding drew me out in a way that is rare in Indian media. Podcast page is here. Don't miss the extensive list of things we talked about in the show notes section.