NPR’s recurring collaboration with National Geographic Radio Expeditions began a series this week titled, “The Geography of Heaven.”
Radio Expeditions explores how shared beliefs of the afterlife shape the lives of the faithful. The journey begins in Vrindavan, the Indian City where the Hindu faithful believe the god Krishna once took human form.
Long time NPR listeners will be quite familiar with the pleasure of a Radio Expedition:
Radio Expeditions blends narrative, interviews, and digital sound to document stories of our world’s threatened environments and diverse cultures. This pioneering series is a coproduction of NPR and the National Geographic Society. [link]
As you wake up sleepy-eyed in your bed, it is their job to aurally transport you to the scene of the story. When they succeed the result is incredible and the images sometimes enter into your dream world. As the quote above mentions, this week’s running story has been focusing on Vrindavan (Monday, Tuesday).
Among the constellation of Hindu deities, Krishna is the truest expression of God. The faithful believe Krishna assumed human form in Vrindavan thousands of years ago and lived a single life as a man. For countless generations since, the town and the miles of low hill countryside surrounding it have been considered sacred.Reminders of the Hindu faith are everywhere. There are countless temples, pilgrims marching through narrow streets following holy men in saffron robes, devotional music and singing. There is also stark, third-world poverty and suffering. It’s city of narrow, trash-blown streets and open sewers, alongside a river black will pollution — the overcrowded capital of New Delhi lies upstream.
As if the audio was not enough, the website features a breathtaking slide-show for those whose curiosity overpowers their imagination. In addition to the main stories, NPR also has a running tape of the ambient sounds in four locations around Vrindavan:
- A Rickshaw Ride Through the Streets of Vrindavan
- Women Gather to Sing on the Shores of the Yamuna River
- Bells Call the Faithful to See a Statue of Krishna
- A Song of Devotion at the Shri Raman Temple
wow.. thanks for the heads up on the series.. really sounds great… too bad here in ATL we have limited NPR unlike LA or DC, or NYC…ugh.. the bane of living in the south…
i heard it on npr this morning. i liked it
chick pea—i’m going to meet you in an hour for our very own 2 person Mutiny Meetup!
but i too suffer from crappy atlanta NPR…
so i’ve done the next best thing–i now listen to NYC NPR through i-tunes radio. it rocks!
and i totally agree being sleepy and hearing something amazing on the radio through this program. when i heard this story…i felt like i WAS in india…and that made me sooooo happy!
Any SMers from Seattle? I’ll be down there end of next week.
AMU- I’m totally with you on the notion you felt you were India. I loved it as well.
I’m just amazed at how much radio waves can do. I didn’t think I would enjoy this series because I thought I would need to see the people talking, the pictures, etc. However, in a rare moment, I was proven wrong. 🙂
I have been listening to the whole series and I should say it lives up to the standards to other Radio Expeditions. In fact todays edition was recorded on Nov 2nd itself in India.
Thanks for the head up Abhi. This was great. It’s amazing how sound can so powerfully bring back memories and transport you to the place you associate with those sounds.
I’d love to hear NPR do a piece on the sounds of urban India. Specific urban sounds — trains, trams, cars honking, the roadside sellers hawking their wares, scooters & three-wheelers — all remind me of my visits to Calcutta and other cities.
I agree. Cool. And thanks for the links that open up in new browsers, too.