Showing Books By Genre : Kids

Jagannatha of Puri

King Indradyumna of Utkal had only one wish - to be able to build a temple that would be the most beautiful in the world. His quest was for the image of the blue-colored Krishna or Nilamadhav. The king came very close to achieving his goal but his pride and arrogance snatched it away from him leaving him groping once more in the dark. Contained in this Amar Chitra Katha is the legend behind the temple of Jagannathapuri in Orissa and the images enshrined in it.

Tanaji...

Tanaji Malasure was only a boy when he took an oath to support his friend, Shivaji, in fighting the Mughals. Along with their small band of faithful followers they became a thorn in the side of the Emperor Aurangzeb as they conquered fort after fort. Tanaji's prowess was tested when he was entrusted with the near impossible task of capturing Kondana Fort. The present story is based on Shivasmruti by G.S. Sardesai and Shivaji the Maratha - His Life and Times by Sir H.G. Rawlinson.

Chandragupta Maurya...

Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Nandas and established himself on the throne of Magadha in 321 B.C. It was a journey fraught with dangerous challenges but his chance meeting with the wily Chanakya changed his destiny forever. The clever Brahmin showed him how by the sheer brilliance of his wit and wile he could help the young Mauryan prince to rise from being an unknown warrior to one of the greatest emperors of India.

Bidhi Chand

Bidhi Chand was a skilled robber but a meeting with the Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev, changed him. He promised to turn honest, he would tell no lies and never steal again. But then the Mughal Emperor's soldiers forcibly took away two horses belonging to Guru Hargobind, the son of Guru Arjan. The Sikhs did not have the numbers to attack the vast Mughal army. They had to resort to trickery to get the horses back and Bidhi Chand found that he had to go back on his word, just this one time and steal the Guru's horses back from the Mughal fort. Bidhi Chand's plot combined wit, courage and great audacity, tricking the Mughals not once but twice, until they learnt not to underestimate the resourcefulness of the Sikhs.

Tipu Sultan-The TIger of Mysore

Tipu Sultan died as he lived, a free man. A childhood spent watching and helping in his father's campaigns had made him a shrewd general. From his father he also inherited courage and a sense of honor and, most importantly, the determination to oust the British from Indian soil. But this noble 18th-century warrior had no weapon against treachery.

The Celestial Necklace

King Shrenika was given a necklace of precious stones by a deva for his good deeds. The deva also told him that if the necklace broke the person who repaired it would die. It happened as the king feared. The necklace broke and Queen Chellana, who was wearing it, insisted that it be repaired. Would anyone string the stones, even for a big reward and risk death and if there was such a man, would the king honor his promise and give the reward to his heirs? This Jain story is based on a retelling of tales from the Agamas (Jain texts) by Muni Mahendrakumar.

Birbal The wise

Every ruler needs a friend like Birbal - faithful, intelligent and blessed with a wonderful sense of humor. Birbal dealt with every tricky situation, every palace intrigue and every demand of his petulant queen with characteristic aplomb. His gentle tact gave him a unique advantage, he became the all-powerful Akbar's alter ego. With wisdom to match his wit, he soon had both friend and foe under his spell.

Stories of Wisdom..

Forest ascetics, simple village lads, experienced travelers and the famous Aushadha Kumar shared a precious trait with the mighty king of Kosala, they were exceptionally wise. These tales make it quite clear that common sense is more precious than all the wealth of the world. So, choose your companions for their sagacity and make yourself rich beyond measure.

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.