Enroute Indian History Podcast

Have you ever visited the temple of rats? Hidden in Rajasthan the Karni Mata Mandir is know to have thousands of rats that eat prasad and are considered divine. Devotees throng the temple and consider sighting a white rat as auspicious! So why do devotees pray to Karni Mata and why are there so many rats?

A vilage in Maharashtra has no doors. The villagers believe Lord shani, the god of Saturn protects them. The bank which opened in 2015 has no locks either. But is it all true? Does the deity really protect them and are there no crimes? Or they are just not reported? Listen to this episode to know more!

Alamzeb the innocent daughter of a tawaif. She wants to be a poetess and falls madly in love with a nobleman named Tajdar. Life snatches her innocence and trust on people when the twist of fate makes her become one thing she never wanted : a tawaif.

Fareedan is a modern tawaif who socialises with the British and welcomes change, such as getting herself clicked with a camera. She is a worthy opponent and is never broken or shattered when defeated, but knows how to handle situations gracefully. This episode takes a deep dive into Fareedan’s character and why women even when they are against each other never cross an invisible line.

Malikajaan is the huzoor, the absolute matriarch of the kotha. She is dominating and fierce and knows how to use people as pawns. The entire ecosystem of Heeramandi is around her and is connected to her. The episode explores what it takes to be a matriarch and a chairman in a kotha and why she needed to rule with an iron fist.