Folktales In English

One day Indra, the King of Heaven, went to Kailasa to visit Shiva. He noticed a fierce-looking man guarding the door, but there was no one else in sight. Indra inquired about Shiva, but the man simply looked through him and did not answer. How Tulasi became a Sacred Tree? “Please tell me where Shiva is…” asked Indra. I have …

Many years ago, Vana, the King of demons, pleased Shiva with his devotion. For his great tapasya, he won a boon that he would remain invincible to all, both on the heaven and the earth. Vana had a beautiful daughter named Usha. Her great friend and constant companion was Chitralekha, the daughter of one of Vana’s ministers. As Usha grew …

Every god is believed to have his own celestial vehicle. The strong and majestic bird Garuda carried around Vishnu on his back. He was very proud of this honor because it was he who carried the Lord of the Universe, Vishnu, when he went around conquering the world. As the days went by, Garuda was filled with pride. He terrified …

Once upon a time there was a king named Uttanapada. He had two queens, Suniti and Suruchi. Suniti was sweet and good-natured and never hurt anyone in her life. Suruchi, on the other hand, was mean, spiteful and jealous. But of course, she was too clever to show her real self to the king, who thought her to be as good …

Sage Narada holds an important place in Indian mythology. He is a great scholar of arts and the Veena-playing musician for gods. A wanderer who roams freely across both heaven and earth, he is often seen as the messenger of Vishnu. The word ‘nara’ means ‘knowledge’, and ‘da’ is ‘one who gives’. So, Narada means a person who passes on …

Long, long ago, there lived a sage named Ayodh Dhaumya. He was a great scholar, and many students from distant lands came to stay in his gurukul and learn from him. Those days there were no schools or colleges. The students lived with the guru in his ashram and learned from him. The well-read munis lived a very simple life …

How Ganesha came to have Elephant Head: When the Gods lived on the earth, Lord Shiva – Mahadeva, the Lord of All, lived on the highest peak of the Himalayas. With him lived his wife, Goddess Parvati. They had no child. For thousands of years they lived there, looking down upon the entire world, which lay at their feet. But …

Amazing adventures of Hanuman Page [1]: Once upon a time, long ago, there lived in India a monkey-boy called Hanuman. His father was Vayu, the god of the winds, and his mother was a monkey princess. Although he was only little, Hanuman had magic powers. He was also naughty. This is the story of some exciting adventures, which began in …

Early Life of Guru Gobind Singh: Guru Gobind Singh was born in December 1666 A.D. at Patna, present day capital of Bihar State. His parents, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and Mata Gujri, had gone to the East on long tour to preach teachings of Guru Nanak. Guru Tegh Bahadur, was accompanied by a large number of his devotees. The purpose of …

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus: We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.Papa says “If you …