Black Death, Bahubali and the World's Most Expensive Spice

Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria

After its arrival in Crimea in 1347, it rapidly spread through Constantinople, Spain, France and southern England. By 1350, it devastated Northern France, the British Isles, Germany and the Scandinavian region. It then crept up to Russia, touching Moscow in 1353. It killed an estimated 30% to 65% of European population. Thousands of kilometres in a town in Karnataka, a ritual which takes place every 12 years makes it an important piligrimage site for Jains all over India. What is that 'it' that devastated Europe, and led to the frenzied demand for a foreign plant? What does that have to do with a Jain piligrimate site and the world's most expensive spice. This week we travel from 14th Century Europe to the town of Śravaṇa Beḷagoḷa in Karnataka and discover the connection between Black Death, Bahubali and the world’s most expensive spice. Tune in, and come to the sobering realisation that our actions often catch up with us.

Till then Check out the other episodes,

Anne Frank, Lootera and Endless Life of Trees http://bit.ly/3Yhrm66 The Trees that built Venice http://bit.ly/3Jwr1s8 Elm Trees, National Revolutions and Modern Paper http://bit.ly/3wIitqN European Impressionism, Japanese Nationalism and Cherry Blossom Trees http://bit.ly/3RlGCgj The tree that built New Zealand http://bit.ly/3wJnWNU Living Fossils, National Identities and 200 Mn year old trees http://bit.ly/3WWxGPF

You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website https://ivm.today/3xuayw9 You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42 ) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or all other major audio platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.