Vividh Bharati and the Independent India

I admit to never hearing Vividh Bharati, but I have heard enough stories to consider it as an integral part of the just-independent India's culture. Vividh Bharati would complete it's 50 years tomorrow and is hosting a day long program to commemorate the event. The Hindu came out with a brilliantly written piece on the history of Vividh Bharati and it's association with the India of yesteryears.

It was a life dictated by Akashvani. If Baldevanand Sagar as much as began the Sanskrit news, it sounded my death knell, as it was time to run out of the house to catch the school bus. The day ended with a glare from my mother if I did not go to bed when the long-drawn and dramatic voice announced ‘Hawa Mahal’. In the absence of television and national newspapers in our town, the 9 p.m. news was the most important link with the world outside. Having little interest in news, I would get fidgety and more often than not, end up speaking and being firmly reprimanded by my father. Bored, as I walked up to my room, Ramanuj Prasad Singh’s booming voice followed me....Read more

A few interesting points discovered:

• Jhumiri Talaiya (yes, it is a real place and not a figment of imagination) became famous throughout India overnight as youngsters in the town would compete on who sent out the most song requests in a day or month. This led to almost all Vividh Bharati Radio listeners being aware of the name of this town and subsequently the whole of India. (Wiki link)
  

• The show comperes used to qualify themselves as Aapki Behan or Aapka Dost and not as RJs. Get one female compere to announce herself as "Main hoon aapki behan XYZ" today and that station would have all it's listeners switched off in a second.

Pretty interesting must have been those times !!