Occupations

A Resourceful Goldsmith (Kerala)

In the olden days, ornaments were made to order. If anyone wanted to have an ornament…
Real Music Lover (Kerala)

In Kerala, there was a king, who loved music. He used to invite eminent musicians to…
The Earth and Humans (Jharkhand)

In the past, the universe was surrounded by water and only water creatures. The universe was…
Four Wise Ministers (Maharashtra)

Veerasena, the king of Vijapur, was known far and wide as a wise and kind ruler.…
The Legacy of the Velvet Feather (Maharashtra)

Submitted by Mitali Kapure In a bustling village of Khandesh, a wealthy landlord named Hiraman built…
The Queen, Washerwoman, and the Blessing of Marriage (Rajasthan)

Submitted by Nishu Rathore Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen in…
A Daughter-in-Law’s Revenge (Tamil Nadu)

A husband and wife had one son, who was married to a girl from another town.…
Celebrating Indigenous Activists at the Frontlines of Forest Conservation

Article by Rhianna MajumderIllustrated by Mitali Kapure Did you know: beyond 50 per cent of Earth’s…
The Living Memory of Communities

Article by Simardeep SandhuIllustrated by Mitali Kapure Before history ever entered our classrooms or textbooks, it…
Oceans and Folklore

Article by Harsh HaldonkarIllustrated by Sanika Kannawar Conceptualised by the International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD),…
The Village Wiseacre (Uttarakhand)

There was once a certain man in an out-of-the way village. The man being a Padhan…
The Old Man And The Monkeys (Gujarat)

There once lived an old man. Once he sowed chibdas on his farm. The old man…
Muk Zek Ding Rum Faat and the Season of Shared Renewal Among the Lepchas

Article by Pansanrip LepchaEdited by Jenica Amalita The Lepchas and their beliefs The Lepchas are one…
The Serpent Wife (Ukraine)

There was once a gentleman who had a labourer who never went about in company. His…
Why We Cannot See Death (Nepal)

Once upon a time there lived a Gurung woodcutter. What little he earned out of a…
Why Goddess Lakshmi Comes on Fridays (Tamil Nadu)

Once there was a big businessman. He had a son and a daughter. Both were happily…
The Hand of Fate (Rajasthan)

After the first monsoon showers, there was great activity in Pipar. Fields had to be ploughed,…
Fortune and Intelligence (Karnataka)

A mother had two sons named Fortune and Intelligence. They met a poor man who brought…
Malin Kundang (Indonesia)

In a small village along the coast of West Sumatra, there lived a poor widow and…
A Traveller’s Story (Haryana)

One day, a traveller came to the place where they gathered every day to kill time.…
Death or Freedom (Armenia)

There once lived a beautiful maiden and a very clever servant. The maiden and the servant…
The Bracelet Sellers (Chhattisgarh)

Basanta Bai’s wedding was the talk of the village. Hearing this, there came two bracelet sellers,…
The Tale of a Mouse (Gujarat)

Once there lived an old woman. One day the woman sat before the fire, preparing rotlas…
The Devotion of the Hunter (Andhra Pradesh)

In the Telugu language, ‘Shri’ means a spider, ‘Kal’ a snake and ‘Hasti’ means an elephant.…
The Three Brothers (Nagaland)

Long ago, there lived three brothers. They had a small firm and a little cottage, in…
The Creation (Philippines)

In the beginning, there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down…
The Clever Lawyer and the Cleverer Client (Kashmir)

Once upon a time there lived a clever lawyer named Ghulam Mustafa Khan. He had a…
Raja Bana Bhat (Himachal Pradesh)

Long, long ago, a king called Bana Bhat ruled at Kangra. He was an ideal and…
The Wetland and Cultural Heritage

Among one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems, the wetland has historically been both celebrated and…
Grandma Wom, the Ghost (Laos)

Once long ago, when the earth and sky were so close, anyone could stretch up and…
The Love Crystal (Vietnam)

Many years ago, Nuhn Li Te was the ruler of a small province in Vietnam. Te…
The Farmer and the Moneylender (Punjab)

There was once a farmer who suffered much at the hands of a moneylender. Good harvests, or…
The Beating of Bhagavan – A Baiga Folktale (Madhya Pradesh)

A Raja ruled over a town where lived an old Baiga and his wife. The Baiga…
The Legend of the Iei Tree (Meghalaya)

Some eight or ten miles to the west of the town of Shillong is seen a…
The Tiger and the Monkeys (Meghalaya)

At the beginning of time, the animals were free, living wild and unruly lives. There were…
The King Who Makes Dreams Come True (Laos)

King Phrommathat of Pharanasi was once known for his greatness. His kingdom became the most prosperous and…
The Tale of Abhirami Bhattar (Tamil Nadu)

Not very long ago, there lived a Brahmin named Subramanyam Iyer in a small town called…
Folklore and Conservation

By Jenica Amalita World Wildlife Conservation Day echoes the timeless teachings of folklore— where every creature…
Juvan and Kansari (Gujarat)

In a village lived a widow. She had a son named Juvan. The widow was extremely…
Mena Gurjari (Gujarat)

Once, there lived a beautiful woman Mena, from Gadh Mandav, was married to Chandio, the chief…
The Tale of the Cat’s Daughter (Assam)

Once upon a time, a farmer had a pet cat who was about to give birth.…
The Lucky Prince (Karnataka)

Ages ago there was a king who had two wives. But he had no children. In…
The Magical Bird

Long ago there was a small kingdom at the foot of the Nilgiri Hills. It was…
A Girl with Golden Hair (Nepal)

Once upon a time a baby girl was born to the King and Queen of Nepal. The girl was…
Threads of Memory: Phulkari and the Embroidered Oralities of Punjab

Article by Archie JoshiEdited by Jenica Amalita Introduction What if fabric could speak? What if every…
The Tale of Bhagirathi (Karnataka)

Long ago, in the village of Shigli Gadag, Karnataka, over 800 farming families lived under the…
The Da Trang Story (Vietnam)

Each morning, at dawn, Da Trang the hunter left his little house and went into the…
The Sparrow’s Song (Iran)

At the time when there was nobody except God, there was a sparrow and there was…
A State Funeral for Master Fox (Goa)

Master Fox was very fond of sweet potatoes and every evening he went down the hill…
The Patron of Lawyers (Goa)

There is a legend among the people of Goa that the patron of lawyers is the…
The King Who Learned From A Cock (Chhattisgarh)

Once upon a time there lived a king who had a very wise preceptor, one who…
The Origin of Patna (Bihar)

In the city of Kosambi, there lived a Brahmin named Bhumideza. He had two sons. They…
The Greatest Fool (Bihar)

Four fools, who were friends, were travelling together. Soon, they felt tired and stopped under a…
The Brahmin Girl that Married A Tiger (Tamil Nadu)

In a certain village there lived an old Brâhmaṇ who had three sons and a daughter.…
The Language of Birds (Russia)

Somewhere in a town in Russia, there lived a rich merchant with his wife. He had an…
Vadu on the Old Woman’s Nose (Gujarat)

It was an extremely cold winter night. It was so cold that one’s bones would become…
How to be a Wise Man (Kerala)

There was a village simpleton who dreamt of becoming a respected wise man as he was…
How the Gond Saved His Field of Gram (Chhattisgarh)

Long, long ago, there lived a Gond who had sown gram in his field. When the…
The Son (Gujarat)

The village of Chalala was the home of Apa Devat, a notorious robber chief. One day,…
The Shadow and the Absent (Vietnam)

There once lived a ruler whose name was Jan-Thi-Hoang. Hoang was a tyrant and imposed heavy…
The Mosquito Story (Vietnam)

Did you know that only the female mosquitoes bite? Do you know why? A long time…
The Spoilt Ghee (Telangana)

Nawab Mir Usman Khan was a ruler who had ruled for a very long time over…
The Abandoned Twins (Gujarat)

Once upon a time, there lived a king with his two queens. The king treated his…
The Fish Prince (Gujarat)

Once upon a time, there lived a king with his two sons. While the younger son…
The Mouse’s Share (Maharashtra)

A young couple had cleared a part of the forest near their home just before the…
The Child Who Turned Into A Pumpkin (Manipur)

Long time ago in a kingdom ruled by a bad-tempered king, there lived a couple who…
Wheel of Fate (Goa)

There is a belief in the Indian subcontinent that on the the sixth day of a…
How a Dead Tiger Killed the Princess (Laos)

Long ago, a king was told by a seer that his newborn daughter would one day…
The Beri (Lakshadweep)

In the Lakshadweep Sea lives the Beri. It drifts over the water and looks like a…
The Man in the Moon (Laos)

There once lived a blacksmith who was sick of working in the high temperature environments he…
The Fear of Death (Maharashtra)

It was a fishermen’s village. Many fishermen’s families were living there, building bamboo huts in the…
Princess Aubergine (Punjab)

Once upon a time there lived a poor Brahman and his wife, so poor, that often…
The Girl Who Married A Tiger – A Loth Naga Folktale (Nagaland)

One day a woman went down to her field to collect some vegetables. On the way,…
Nag Panchami and the Cobra (Andhra Pradesh)

On the fifth day of the month of Shravan comes the festival of Nag Panchami. Cobras…
The Two Thugs (Kashmir)

There was once a thug who plied his trade with reasonable efficiency and success. He was…
A Curious Way to Serve Guests (Manipur)

Once upon a time a hunter called Mantuk lived in a country. He was not only…
The Two who were Brothers Indeed (Chhattisgarh)

In a certain town there lived a rich man. He had two sons. At the time…
The Musical Instruments – A Damor Folktale (Gujarat)

The Damors, one of the largest clans of the Bhils, noted that one day the surface…
The Kangra Queen and the Necklace (Himachal Pradesh)

This is the story of Bana Bhatt, a rope maker who believed in fair business. His…
The Parrot and His Grandson (Bihar)

There was once a bahelia who earned his livelihood by catching birds and selling them to…
The Sweat of the Brow (Uttar Pradesh)

There once lived a pundit in a certain village of Jhansi. He was simple in his…
The Golden Crow and the Silver Crow (Lakshadweep)

Long ago, there lived two girls in a house. One day, the two of them went…
The Men Who Went to A Distant Land (Nicobar)

Long, long ago, some men from Car Nicobar went to other Nicobarese islands in search for…
The Roll of Cotton (Sri Lanka)

Once there lived two sisters lived and each had a daughter. The younger of the two…
The Witness (Rajasthan)

In the eyes of the world, the Thakur of Mandore was a rich man. He lived…
The Secret of the Talking Bird (Karnataka)

Once upon a time a fowler named Timma used to catch birds and sell them for…
Kongliang Otsü – An Ao Naga Folktale (Nagaland)

A long time ago, in the age of dreams and magical times, when the gods and…
You Can Never Escape Destiny (Puducherry)

Once upon a time, there lived an astrologer who charged a nominal fee from the people…
The Old Man and the Monkeys (Gujarat)

There once lived an old man. Once he sowed chibdas (cantaloupes) on his farm. The old…
The Bear’s Bad Bargain (Punjab)

Once upon a time, there lived an old woodman and his wife in a small hut,…
The Hoarder (Haryana)

There once lived a farmer who owned a magnificent pot of gold. However, being an imprudent…
The Last Wish (Pondicherry)

Long ago, there lived a hardworking washerwoman and her only son. Every day, they carried heaps…
The Creation of Day and Night (Gujarat)

Long, long ago there was a time when the sun would shine all along in the…
The Farmer’s Present (Haryana)

Once, in a village in Haryana, there lived a hardworking farmer. Alongside working in his farm,…
The Wrath of Sinbonga – A Munda Folklore

The tribals of the land worshipped the Sun God, Sinbonga, with the utmost devotion. But the…
The Wise Dog, Bonda Folklore (Odisha)

Budusida of Mudulipada once went hunting in the forest, carrying bows and traps. He was also…
The origin of Madhubani paintings (Bihar)

It is believed that Mithila art originated during the time of the epic Ramayana. Sita’s father,…
Mayel Kyung’s Bamboo Cups (Sikkim)

The Sherabu (hunter) once went to the Chu (river) in search of game. As he stood…
How the World Began

Once, a proud wrestler in Iran heard of a mightier wrestler in Hindustan. Determined to challenge…
The Tale of the Ancient Phertajido (Andaman)

Long ago, in the ancient times of the Andaman Islands, there lived a solitary figure named…