Showing Books By Genre : Kids

Tales of Maryada Rama

Rich or poor, old or young, Maryada Rama was fair to all. Though it wasn't always easy to figure who was right and who was wrong, Maryada Rama always found a way. No wonder the king bestowed on the young man the title of City Judge and yet Maryada Rama had had the courage to criticize his king face to face.

Choice of Friends

Narayana, the author of these parables, insists that we exercise caution when choosing our companions. His charming animal characters - sometimes silly, sometimes wise - remind us uncomfortably of ourselves. We learn to avoid the pitfalls of life, along with them, thus attaining wisdom in a rather enjoyable way! Most importantly, we realize the worth of an honest friend.

Gopal the Jester...

With his presence of mind and unfailing humor, Gopal, the barber, not only made the king of Krishnanagar laugh in the midst of worry or boredom but he also resolved grave matters of state with surprising ease. Bullies and misers, dreamers and the narrow-minded, all got a taste of his wit, much to the delight of readers.

The greedy Mother in Law

Saumitri's mother-in-law is a tyrant and a greedy one too. So when Saumitri discovers the pure gold sands of Suvarna Dweep, her mother-in-law decides to go there at once. In another story a pretentious owl tries to match the status of his friend the king of swans and oversteps the boundaries of caution. The Panchatantra, though originally written by Pandit Vishnu Sharma, was reworked by successive writers. The stories in this Amar Chitra Katha are taken from the Kannada translation, of Vasubhaga Datta's version by Durgasimha, a minister at the court of the Chalukya king, Jayasimha.

Raman The Matchless Wit

Was Tenali Raman a fool or the cleverest man at the court of Krishnadeva Raya? After all, he humbled great kings as well as learned scholars. Wiggling out of every predicament in unique and unexpected ways, this poet-jester reminds us of Birbal at the court of Akbar. Read his tales and laugh with joy even as his plain common sense leaves you gasping.

Leave It To Birbal

Mahatma Gandhi..

Jesus Christ...

The life of Jesus Christ is a restatement of the permanent values of human living, the brotherhood of man and the need for charity and right action in society. Today, "Christ-like" is the word used to describe a noble-hearted, gentle, humane and selfless person. One cannot fail to be drawn to this man who spoke of goodness with wisdom and power and brought comfort and peace to men of goodwill.

Tales of Saibaba...

For the sick, the troubled and the oppressed Shirdi in Maharashtra was the place to go. It was where Sai Baba's all-encompassing love made them feel better, happier and more at peace. He could reveal himself as the Supreme Deity and yet assume the form of a street dog, turn water into oil and save a child miles away from burning flames. However, by the time he left this world in 1918, he had also made thousands understand that good acts are the only miracle needed to find God.

JRD Tata...

A reputed national airline, world-renowned scientific and medical institutions, an industrial empire catering to a nation's needs from tea to trucks and from cosmetics to common salt, how did he achieve so much? With hard work, humility and value for tradition but also with an overwhelming desire for progress. Moreover, his spirit of adventure soared higher that the planes he so skilfully piloted.

Ramanuja...

Ramanuja (AD 1017-1137) lived for 120 years, traversing the land from Tamil Nadu to Kashmir. People flocked to him to understand his unusual message, the path to ultimate bliss. High caste or low, wealthy or poor, Ramanuja turned no one away. The great Acharya who wrote scholarly commentaries on sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita was first and foremost a simple-hearted devotee. He inspired the Bhakti movement that spread throughout the country.

Jayaprakash Narayan..

Bandits and bullies both relied on his sense of fair play. When, as a boy, he tended to pet animals rather than play with his toys, people thought he was simple-headed. It was this spirit of kindness, however, that guided his lifelong fight against injustice and inequality. The rough and tumble of political life may have bewildered him but the country recognized in Jayaprakash Narayan an honest, brilliant and selfless Gandhian.

Hiuen Tsang

His wisdom and scholarship were like the sun, bringing light to the world. When Hiuen Tsang, the learned pilgrim from China, made the perilous journey to the land of Buddha, his prayers were said to work miracles. From Turfan to Bamiyan and from Gandhara to Prayag, hostile rulers and merciless thieves were rendered powerless by his calm courage. His accounts bring 7th-century India to life even today.

Ram Shastri

Even as a child he was known for his honesty and upright behavior. Ram Shastri started his life as a servant in a rich household. However, his determination to learn the scriptures caught the attention of the resident priest. It was a long and arduous journey but hard work and determination took him to the position of Chief Justice under the Peshwas of Maharashtra. Respected by his peers, Ram Shastri's sense of justice and fair play, at a time when corruption and nepotism held sway, earned him the love and loyalty of the people.

Lokmanya Tilak....

Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it', this clarion call was given by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was a towering figure in the Indian Independence movement. A nationalist to the core, he believed strongly that modern education would inculcate patriotism and self-respect in the people. His inspiring speeches and writing landed Tilak in jail several times. But this did not dampen his spirit or will to cast off the yoke of foreign rule from his motherland.

Rani Durgavati

She chose to be the wife of a brave, 'low-born' hero, rather than of a spineless 'high-born' fool. This was indeed fortunate for the people of Garha, for they gained a queen who could befuddle even the mightiest of Mughal armies. Her intelligence and courage were unmatched. But this made Asaf Khan, the Mughal general, all the more determined to subdue her.

Rana pratap...

Disdaining even the comfort of a bed, the valiant Rana Pratap waged a single-minded, life-long war against the mighty Mughal conquerors. His Rajput pride instilled a deep respect in the enemy. They realized that huge armies and sophisticated weapons are but aids and that there can be no substitute for raw courage on the battlefield.

Chandra Shekhar Azad

Chandra Shekhar was only a little boy when he ran away to Bombay in search of adventure. Little did he know how much he would get involved in the country's freedom struggle. Those were the days when the non-cooperation movement had gathered immense momentum and it was in Varanasi that Chandra Shekhar first confronted British authority. After that there was no looking back. Assuming the surname 'Azad' he and his band of revolutionaries did much to awaken in the Indian people the desire for freedom. Martyred at the age of 25, Chandra Shekhar Azad has left an indelible mark on the history of Indian Independence.

Velu Thampi

It was a time of corruption and despotism in the state of Travancore. Balarama Varma, the Maharaja, was a helpless teenager who watched his Diwan take advantage of his inexperience to impose crushing taxes on the people and pocket the money himself. It was Velu Thampi who led a rebellion and overthrew the Diwan. The grateful Maharaja proclaimed him the Diwan and the people enjoyed a period of justice and firm administration. But then a greater foe awaited Velu Thampi, the British East India Company, which had begun to interfere with the internal affairs of Travancore.

Veer Savarkar..

This Amar Chitra Katha highlights the life of revolutionaries who were exiled to the dreaded cellular prison on Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. Many went insane and a few committed suicide, but Veer Savarkar refused to be daunted. He valiantly continued the fight for human dignity and freedom, even in prison. What was the secret of Savarkar's strength? He was utterly confident that India would achieve freedom. That conviction gave him hope and courage to overcome depression and keep fighting wherever he was, inside the prison or outside.

Krishnadeva Raya

The king of Vijayanagara, Vira Narasimha, was very ill. He was afraid that after his death, his much loved and popular brother, Krishnadeva Raya, would seize the throne from his little son. So he asked a trusted minister to put Krishnadeva to death. The conscience-stricken minister could not perform such a heinous deed and convinced the bewildered prince to escape. Fate had already decreed that Krishnadeva Raya would one day rule the Vijayanagara empire and take it to its zenith of glory.

Sher Shah..

He was not from a royal family but his vision and ambition set him far above the ordinary. Farid, who was later known as Sher Shah, was the son of an Afghan estate owner of Sasaram. Discriminated against by his stepmother he sought refuge with the governor of Jaunpur. From there it was a long and rough ride for the brave young man but he pursued his dream and not only did he become the ruler of Bihar, he also defeated the Mughal forces of Humayun and went on to become the Emperor of Hindustan.

Harsha..

Starting off as the ruler of tiny Thaneshwar, Harsha (17th century AD) rose to become the powerful monarch of the kingdom of kanauj. He avenged the wicked assassination of his elder brother and the cowardly abduction of his sister. His biographer Bana Bhatta and the chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang were unanimous in their praise of this learned king, whose fame did much to create a glowing image of India in lands far away. If Harsha is remembered till this day as a great ruler, it is not only because he was a brave military leader, but also because he was a man of noble impulse, a great patron of learning and letters and he had great scholars like Banabhatta, Mayura and Divakara in his court. Harsha came to occupy the throne of Thaneshwar at a very critical moment in its history. The neighbouring kingdom, Kannauj, ruled by Harsha's brother-in-law, had been overrun. Harsha not only surmounted these difficulties, but also raised the small kingdom of Thaneshwar into the most powerful kingdom of Northern India. Banabhatta's 'Harshacharita' gives a detailed account of Harsha's life till he rescues Rajyashri. We know more about political and economic conditions of his times from the account of Hiuen Tsang, who visited India during his reign.

Akbar..

He was a child, who only wanted to ride elephants and hunt tigers. Crowned emperor of Hindustan at the age of 13, he was mature enough to choose his friends carefully. Enemies and dangerous courtiers, on the other hand, were dispatched mercilessly. For his courage and generosity, his love of the arts and universal justice, history gave Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar an enduring label - 'Akbar the Great'.