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The Nanda Devi Mystery cover art

The Nanda Devi Mystery

Written by: Asiaville
Narrated by: Sashi Kumar
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after trial ends. Cancel anytime.

  • Summary

  • The Nanda Devi Mystery: How India and America Lost a Nuclear Device is the thoroughly riveting and sometimes bizarre story of how India and America tried to install a nuclear-powered surveillance device on top of the Himalayas to snoop on China and then lost it forever. Narrated by Sashi Kumar and produced by Asiaville, it is the dramatic story of Cold War geopolitics and how the frenzy of the nuclear arms race pushed two nations to do the unthinkable. But, it is also the awe-inspiring tale of some of the world's finest mountaineers who doubled up as high-altitude spies and put themselves at unimaginable risk to execute a wild idea.

    Written by Angshuman Choudhury and Directed & Narrated by Sashi Kumar.
    ©2023 Asiaville Interactive Pvt Ltd. (P)2023 Asiaville Interactive Pvt Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Episode 1: The “Machine”

    Episode 1: The “Machine”
    Jul 20 2023
    As a race between the world’s two biggest superpowers to develop the most powerful atomic bomb intensifies, so does their mutual desire to spy on each other. Strangely, that mind-boggling history is linked to rumours about a recent avalanche in the valley overlooking the Nanda Devi.
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    36 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 2: The Dragon Enters the Room

    Episode 2: The Dragon Enters the Room
    Jul 20 2023
    Even as the US continues to obsess over the Soviet Union, the so-called “Far East” gives birth to two formidable communist empires. The Americans would quickly realise that they had underestimated Mao’s China and Kim Il-Sung’s North Korea.
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    30 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 3: The Dragon Breathes Fire

    Episode 3: The Dragon Breathes Fire
    Jul 20 2023

    Mao makes it clear that he wants the atomic bomb. Zhou Enlai says China wants “peaceful existence”. The doublespeak confounds both America and the Soviet Union. But, a third major power sits up and takes notice - India. The stage is set for one of the strangest and most intense Himalayan adventures.
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    28 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
Contemporary Fiction
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What listeners say about The Nanda Devi Mystery

Average Customer Ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Profile image for Harshad P

Wonderfully researched, written and narrated

Hats off to the writing and research by Angshuman Chaudhary and Sashi Kumar's inimitable narration. A true masterpiece of a podcast putting history in such a wonderful perspective.

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Profile image for Vishal D.

great story with best sound design

a lot of context. so interesting would hear twice. give it a try u will enjoy.

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Profile image for Srinidhi

Comprehensive and eye opening !

A very detailed exposition of the entire saga. Great narration. Great research. Repetitive at times, but engaging none the less. Kudos !

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
Profile image for Aditya Sreenivasan

An enthrallingly narrated obscure Indian spy story

Was quite intrigued when this popped up in my Audible catalogue recommendations, and decided to give it a try. I had vaguely read about this topic in a subReddit about Indian legends and was looking forward to learning more about this mystery from this audiobook.

Besides the story being quite gripping, I felt the standout aspects were the script and the narration. They managed to keep me hooked throughout the episodes barring the last one - which I felt ended abruptly, as if the CIA & IB did not want the last part of the story to be revealed. The BGM is also pretty good, but that sudden volume increase in the end credits is jarring and annoying.

The good: Narration and script
Could be improved: that music volume of the end credits BGM

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile image for vanija

mind blowingly chaotic and insightful

what a wonderful journey through history and human ambition. what a epic storytelling. wonderful

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Profile image for Placeholder

Good podcast. Informative

One needs to listen for the way it is presented spoken and for the history itself.

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Profile image for Placeholder

Mystery solved in detail

Great narration. Equally great was the presentation of the story, no stone was left unturned to make this series what it is... marvellous.

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Profile image for Kindle Customer

Intriguing and captivating

A story very well narrated and accompanied with good background score. Some sections do have repeated points making it a little longer. Guessing it was done to allow for separate chapters in a podcast.

Enjoyed listening to it. Thank you.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile image for अनिल

Definitely worth the buck!

The narration is simply mind blowing. An Intriguing & alarming cold war tale worth listening.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Profile image for Riders of the storm

Can do with a little less drama

It is a very good storyline of true events . Too much of music in the ending spoils the listening mood.
Avoid calling a mountain a Goddess while dramatising a true event. That is a personal choice.

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