Invisible India | Navigating Indian Culture With Love
116 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 39 ratingsJessica Kumar is an American development advocate living in Bihar, India. She engages in powerful &empathetic interviews to shed light on lesser known aspects of Indian culture, founded in cultural anthropology, sprinkled with hints of modern relationships.
Join us to hear diverse voices, stereotype breakers & interesting people who are experts in:
-language learning (specifically acquisition of South Asian languages)
-breaking stereotypes about racial identity
-cross-cultural parenting
-interracial relationships, navigating cross-cultural marriage
-gender roles
-doing business in India
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Episodes
Ayurveda 101: A Conversation with Dr. Shari Krishna on the Basics of Ayurvedic Medicine
February 25, 2019 17:07 - 45 minutesWant to learn about Ayurvedic medicine? Hear from Dr Shari Krishna from Kairali Ayurvedic Center as we talk about her introduction to medicine, life as a South Indian in North India, and the basics of Ayurveda. The ancient healing system of Ayurveda has both scientific and mystical beginnings. Today it is a practical system of prevention and healing which has taken root in the habits of the Indian subcontinent and is spreading across the globe. How is ayurveda related to yoga? What are the bi...
8: Ayurveda 101: A Conversation with Dr. Shari Krishna on the Basics of Ayurvedic Medicine
February 25, 2019 17:07 - 43 minutes - 40 MBWant to learn about Ayurvedic medicine? Hear from Dr Shari Krishna from Kairali Ayurvedic Center as we talk about her introduction to medicine, life as a South Indian in North India, and the basics of Ayurveda. The ancient healing system of Ayurveda has both scientific and mystical beginnings.
7: How to Be Tacky In A 5 Star Hotel
February 19, 2019 09:04 - 18 minutesTraveling with small children always seems to include some interesting drama. With our Chase Sapphire travel credit card points, we scored 2 free nights in a 5 Star Hotel in a prime location with free breakfast and dinner. We paid about 300 rupees (about $7) in taxes for this whole experience. However, some parts of staying in a 5 star hotel caught us off guard and were cause for self-reflection. Hear our comedic take on "5 Ways to Be Tacky in a 5 Star Hotel" and how we exhibited questionable...
How to Be Tacky In A 5 Star Hotel
February 19, 2019 09:04 - 18 minutesTraveling with small children always seems to include some interesting drama. With our Chase Sapphire travel credit card points, we scored 2 free nights in a 5 Star Hotel in a prime location with free breakfast and dinner. We paid about 300 rupees (about $7) in taxes for this whole experience. However, some parts of staying in a 5 star hotel caught us off guard and were cause for self-reflection. Hear our comedic take on "5 Ways to Be Tacky in a 5 Star Hotel" and how we exhibited questionable...
7: What Did We Do in a 5 Star Hotel?
February 19, 2019 09:04 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBHear our comedic take on "5 Ways to Be Tacky in a 5 Star Hotel" and how we exhibited questionable behavior on a recent trip to Gurgaaon.
6: Dreamy Udaipur - Palaces, Coffee and a Model City of Cleanliness
February 12, 2019 11:55 - 18 minutes - 17 MBVoted the highest quality of life in India, Udaipur way exceeded our expectations. We loved every minute of this beautiful, historic, clean and navigable city.
Dreamy Udaipur - Palaces, Coffee and a Model City of Cleanliness
February 12, 2019 11:55 - 19 minutesVoted the highest quality of life in India, Udaipur way exceeded our expectations. We loved every minute of this beautiful, historic, clean and navigable city. We feel like Udaipur is how the REST of India could be and is a model for development, cleanliness and hospitality. India will never be a Western country, but if the rest of India became like Udaipur, it would be a paradise. Travel Tips- we enjoyed the old city by staying at a nice family run place called Nukkad Guest House with simple...
Pushkar And Ajmer - Hippies, Camels, Temples & Islamic Shrines
February 05, 2019 07:23 - 34 minutesIn this episode we cover a wide variety of information about Rajastan’s vegetarian hot spot, Pushkar and touch on Ajmer’s Khwaja Sahib Shrine. We talk about pro travel trips in India and some specific to Rajastan. What does it feel like in Pushkar? Chai, falafel, good coffee shops, temples, camels and hippies. What is so special about Ajmer Sharif’s shrine to Moinuddin Chishti? How many humps do Indian camels have? Learn about where the gypsy people originated from. Is dressing up in traditio...
5: Pushkar And Ajmer - Hippies, Camels, Temples & Islamic Shrines
February 05, 2019 07:23 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBIn this episode we cover a wide variety of information about Rajastan’s vegetarian hot spot, Pushkar and touch on Ajmer’s Khwaja Sahib Shrine. We talk about pro travel trips in India and some specific to Rajastan. What does it feel like in Pushkar? Chai, falafel, good coffee shops, temples, camels and hippies. What is so special about Ajmer Sharif’s shrine to Moinuddin Chishti? How many humps do Indian camels have? Learn about where the gypsy people originated from. Is dressing up in tradit...
4: Giving Birth in India
January 14, 2019 09:52 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBHear Jessica's story about giving birth in India and fighting against cultural norms to try for a natural, unmedicated birth. There is a gaping hole of awareness of natural birth in India and there are many reasons contributing to that which are discussed on the podcast. Did you know that India skipped the Industrial Revolution? India went from an Agricultural Society to a Digital Society in a short amount of time. Imagine the jump in generation gap! This is one of the contributing factors ...
Giving Birth in India
January 14, 2019 09:52 - 17 minutesHear Jessica's story about giving birth in India and fighting against cultural norms to try for a natural, unmedicated birth. There is a gaping hole of awareness of natural birth in India and there are many reasons contributing to that which are discussed on the podcast. Did you know that India skipped the Industrial Revolution? India went from an Agricultural Society to a Digital Society in a short amount of time. Imagine the jump in generation gap! This is one of the contributing factors to...
Pilgrimage to Bodhgaya
January 14, 2019 00:00 - 13 minutesA visit to one of Buddhism's most holy sites in Bodhgaya ushers one into the mind blowing nature of India’s clash- the modern and ancient all in one place. In this episode, Jessica walks you through Bodhgaya and the Mahabodhi temple experience. Enjoy some pro-travel tips of exploring rural India and learn about the state of Bihar, where Bodhgaya is located.
3: Pilgrimage to Bodhgaya
January 14, 2019 00:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBA visit to one of Buddhism's most holy sites in Bodhgaya ushers one into the mind blowing nature of India’s clash- the modern and ancient all in one place. In this episode, Jessica walks you through Bodhgaya and the Mahabodhi temple experience. Enjoy some pro-travel tips of exploring rural India and learn about the state of Bihar, where Bodhgaya is located.
2: We Went Through an International Travel Crisis
January 12, 2019 09:52 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBImagine, you are on a vacation with your family and the unimaginable happens. Your most important documents, money and devices are stolen out from under your nose. You are stranded in a foreign country for almost 2 weeks because of circumstances out of your control.
2: How NOT to Handle an International Travel Crisis
January 12, 2019 09:52 - 20 minutesImagine, you are on a vacation with your family and the unimaginable happens. Your most important documents, money and devices are stolen out from under your nose. You are stranded in a foreign country for almost 2 weeks because of circumstances out of your control. How do we know? This happened to us! We talk about our experience of having all our most important stuff stolen and give tips on what to do if something awful like this happens to you. You don't want to miss this action packed ep...
1: Intro to Us. Why Did We Move Back to India?
January 11, 2019 09:52 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBIntroduction- Who are we? What is this podcast all about? For those of you who don’t know us, we are a cross cultural couple (Indian and American) living and working in India with our two kids. In Episode 1 we talk about why we moved back to India with our young kids after a fruitful life and careers in America. What does it feel like to be a returning NRI? How did we get here? What is it like living in the least developed state of India outside the metropolitan, tier 1 cities?