This Old Tree
Old trees are awe inspiring links to the past that fire our imagination. What are their stories? Seasoned arborist and amateur historian Doug Still interviews local experts, historians, and regular folks to celebrate the myths and uncover the real tales. If you're a tree lover, join in to look "beyond the plaque" at heritage trees and the human stories behind them. Monthly.
This Old Tree
India's Kabirvad Banyan Tree
Meet Kabirvad, a 500 yr-old, 4 acre banyan tree in the heart of Gujarat, India. The spectacular tree is a national treasure associated with Saint Kabir, a 15th century mystic poet known for his timeless poetry. He challenged institutions, religions and social convention. Who was he, and how is his legend tied to a banyan tree? Journey to India to learn about Kabirvad. In understanding the tree, you may find the essence of Kabir himself.
Guests
Prof. Srinivas Reddy
Guest Professor, Humanities
Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, India
Author, Illuminating Worlds: An Anthology of Classical Indian Literature
Sankalpana
Dr. Linda Hess
Professor Emerita, Stanford University
Linda-Hess.com
Bodies of Song: Kabir Oral Traditions and Performative Worlds in North India
Ronak Kevadiya
Range Forest Officer
Forest and Environment Office, Govt. of Gujarat
Bharuch, India
Dr. Vikrant Jain
Professor, Earth Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, India
Short Kabir Interviews
Abhia Lakhia
Jayraj Bhatt
Anuja Bhatt
Dr. Sudhanshu Sharma
Kabeer Jesusa
Kabir Poems Reader
Gairik Sachdeva
Cambridge, MA
Lineages of Innovations (Substack)
Kabir poems translated and provided by Linda Hess
Music
Raga Ahiri, performed by Srinivas Reddy (sitar), Rajiv Bhatt (tabla) and Sameer Sahasrabuddhe (tabla)
Other References
Burn Down Your House: Provocations from Kabir, Shabnam Virmani
Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees, Michael Shanahan
Additional thanks to
Dr. Paula Richman and Dr. Michael Fisher for sharing their knowledge and resources on India.
Lisa Rodriguez at Osco Pharmacy, for providing all of the vaccinations I needed
Theme Music
Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
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We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
