States

Enquire Before you Entrust (Andhra Pradesh)

Dwijakirtti, King of Cholamaudala, had three sons. As he was old and no longer capable of…
A Village Girl of Rajasthan (Rajasthan)

The clatter of hoofs echoed through the afternoon stillness, as Prince Ursingh of Chitor and his…
Why a British Captain Bowed Before a Rebel Chief (Odisha)

Over two hundred years ago, the Marathas ruled over Odisha. They appointed a local chief as…
The Flowering Tree (Karnataka)

Once there was a girl who could turn into a tree. She would have her younger…
Me Ek Bilaadi Paadi Chhe – A Gujarati Lullaby

Submitted by: Ananya N Mehta Edited by: Angel Kolady and Harsh Haldonkar Originalમેં એક બિલાડી પાળી…
The Toad (Manipur)

It was a long time ago. In a village within a kingdom, there lived a woman…
The Woman on a Fig Tree (Chhattisgarh)

One day a man and his wife quarreled together in their house. The woman being angry…
Creation of the Earth – A Baiga Folktale (Madhya Pradesh)

In the earliest of times there was only water all around. On that water, an old…
The Tiger and the Baiga (Madhya Pradesh)

On a hill called Dhutiya, there resided a Baiga named Latiya. One day, when his pregnant…
Dharti Mata – A Baiga Folktale (Madhya Pradesh)

A Baiga named Saanti had two wives, Jalango and Sayaat. One day he saw a dream…
Why the Elephant No Longer Flies – A Baiga Folktale (Madhya Pradesh)

In the past, elephants had huge wings and they could fly. One day an elephant flew…
The Wetland and Cultural Heritage

Among one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems, the wetland has historically been both celebrated and…
The Enchanted Mandolin (Jharkhand)

A family consisted of five siblings, four elder brothers and a sister. The brothers toiled in…
Deflecting A Tiger’s Fury (Sikkim)

In the misty highlands of Sikkim, two brothers—one broad-shouldered and slow to think, the other wiry…
The Egg’s Revenge (Nagaland)

The pheasant and the jungle-cat were once friends. The cat called the pheasant to see his…
The Mother and Daughter Who Worshipped the Sun (Punjab)

Once upon a time there lived a mother and a daughter who worshipped the Sun. Though…
The Farmer and the Moneylender (Punjab)

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

Once the Cow was disputing with the Wind as to who was greater. Then Nanga Baiga (the…
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…
Biran Bai (Madhya Pradesh)

There once lived seven brothers and a sister in a village. The sister’s name was Biran…
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 Tale of Abhirami Bhattar (Tamil Nadu)

Not very long ago, there lived a Brahmin named Subramanyam Iyer in a small town called…
Shikhandin’s Gender (Tamil Nadu)

According to the South Indian version of Panchatantra, there was king who was childless for many…
Science and Folklore 1: Explaining Bird Migration

By Jenica Amalita Birds have always been viewed with awe since ancient times, being credited as…
Folklore and Conservation

By Jenica Amalita World Wildlife Conservation Day echoes the timeless teachings of folklore— where every creature…
Youth in Folklore

By Jenica Amalita Youth are the embodiment of hope and progress. They hold the keys of…
Katsingpeo’s Wife (Nagaland)

There was once a slave-girl named Reile in Hangrum, and one feast-day one of the dekachangs…
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…
The Monkey and the Tortoise (Mizoram)

Once, a Tortoise went to a village to buy some salt. On his way back, he…
Three Goats and a Wolf (Ladakh)

Once, a wolf happened upon a goat. On seeing her, the wolf asked, “What is on…
The Origin of Tattoos (Nagaland)

In ancient times, the unmarried girls of the Ao villages would sleep in the spinster’s house at…
The Tale of Bhagirathi (Karnataka)

Long ago, in the village of Shigli Gadag, Karnataka, over 800 farming families lived under the…
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…
Sun and Wind – A Rathwi Folktale (Gujarat)

Once the Sun and the Wind had an argument as to who was stronger among them.…
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.…
Why the Swallow Wails (Goa)

Once, there was a swallow by the name ‘Kirkiro’. He would cry the whole day- kirrr……
The Rustle of the Peepal (Chhattisgarh)

This is one of the many legends and myths associated with the Peepal Tree. This story…
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…
Kalidasa and the Goddess (Kerala)

There was a boy in a village in Kalinga who never got the opportunity to get…
How to be a Wise Man (Kerala)

There was a village simpleton who dreamt of becoming a respected wise man as he was…
Bhimsen and Fever (Chhattisgarh)

One day Bhimsen, who is called Baiha Bajrangi, was hurriedly coming from a jungle. From the…
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 Faithful Prince (Punjab)

Long ago there lived a King who had an only son, the Prince Bahramgor, who was…
When Earth Fell in Love (Madhya Pradesh)

This is a tribal myth from the Gond community, told during harvesting as part of bidri…
Divine Quarrel (Manipur)

The Hill Miri tribals explain the phenomena of floods and drought as a domestic quarrel between…
Shiva as Mother (Tamil Nadu)

This tale from South India describes how Shiva chose to play the role of a mother…
The Spoilt Ghee (Telangana)

Nawab Mir Usman Khan was a ruler who had ruled for a very long time over…
The Jackal and the Dog – A Kharia Tale (Jharkhand)

A vast forest was home to a variety of animals, including elephants, lions, tigers, bears, and…
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…
Queen Kamala Kuori (Assam)

Once there was a king in a certain area in Assam. He loved his people and…
A Selection of Lullabies Across India

By Team CCF Lullabies occupy a central role in the transmission of folk culture as they…
The Origin of the Himalayas

Origin myths from different regions of the Himalayas seek to explain the formation of the mountains.…
Kashi, The City of Gods (Uttar Pradesh)

Kashi is said to be the city of Gods. Kashi is specially known as the abode…
Mangal Kavyas: Bengal’s Performative Folklore that Humanised Gods for the Common Man

Article by Debashrita Dash Edited by Aashika Prabhakar Between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, the cultural…
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…
Rama and the Transgenders (Karnataka)

When Rama walked towards river Sharayu to spend the next fourteen years in exile, all the…
The Rainmaker (Meghalaya)

There once lived an old couple in the mountains. The old lady most of the time…
Wheel of Fate (Goa)

There is a belief in the Indian subcontinent that on the the sixth day of a…
The Beri (Lakshadweep)

In the Lakshadweep Sea lives the Beri. It drifts over the water and looks like a…
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 Hornbill Festival: Celebrating Unity in Diversity

By Jenica Amalita Considered the ‘Festival of Festivals’, in 2000 the Nagaland government initiated the Hornbill…
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 Sparrow and the Crow (Uttar Pradesh)

Once upon a time, a crow and a sparrow were close friends. They bought a field…
Sona and Rupa (Madhya Pradesh)

Once upon a time there was a prince. One day, he came out of his palace…
The Musical Instruments – A Damor Folktale (Gujarat)

The Damors, one of the largest clans of the Bhils, noted that one day the surface…
Devchar in a Bottle (Goa)

In Goa, the coastal state from western India, Devchars are the most cherished spirit-gods. Devchar literally means- “The one who…
The Miserable Boy (Mizoram)

A man and his wife agreed that they would never complain about any hard work they…
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…
Story of Sita’s Birth (Karnataka)

This folk narrative, sung by an Untouchable bard, opens with Ravana and his queen Mandodari. Here,…
The Story of Kilfeūt (Nicobar)

There was once a man named Kilfeūt who went in his canoe to a trading ship,…
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 Origin of Monpa Dances (Arunachal Pradesh)

Long long ago, there were two villages built on either side of a riverbank. But the…
Friendship (Tripura)

A long time ago in a village, there lived two close friends – a frog and…
The Origin of Opium (West Bengal)

Once upon a time, on the banks of the holy river Ganga, there lived a rishi.…
Tamsang Thing (Sikkim)

Now it had happened that the first parents of the Lepchas had thrown their first seven…
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 Witness (Rajasthan)

In the eyes of the world, the Thakur of Mandore was a rich man. He lived…
The Hand of Fate (Rajasthan)

After the first monsoon showers, there was great activity in Pipar. Fields had to be ploughed,…
The Secret of the Talking Bird (Karnataka)

Once upon a time a fowler named Timma used to catch birds and sell them for…
The Origin of Tiger, Spirit, and Humankind (Nagaland)

According to this Mao-Naga myth, Tiger, Spirit and Humankind were three brothers who came into existence…
Kongliang Otsü – An Ao Naga Folktale (Nagaland)

A long time ago, in the age of dreams and magical times, when the gods and…