Mahesh Das was a citizen in the kingdom of Akbar. He was an intelligent young man.

Once upon a time, King Akbar went hunting in the forest and lost his way. He called for help but it was of no use. Then the sun started to set. King Akbar said, “Soon it will be dark. And here I am, all alone in the woods!” Mahesh Das who lived in the outskirts heard a call and ran to the king. Akbar was glad to see him!

“I know the way back to the palace, follow me,” said Mahesh Das to king Akbar.

The king said, “Young man, I want to give you a gift.”  He took a ring from his finger and gave it to Mahesh Das. He also promised to give him a responsible posting at his court.


After a few days, Mahesh Das went to the court. But the guard stopped him at the door.  “Halt!” he said.  “You do not look like someone who should see the king!” 

“But I have come to see him,” said Mahesh Das. “And the king knows me.” He showed the guard the ring that king Akbar had given him.

“Well, now!” The guard thought to himself, “I think this young man is sure to be bestowed with more gifts from the king."

The greedy guard said to Mahesh Das, “Listen to me. I will let you go inside. But you will have to pay me half the reward that you would get from the king.”  The guard crossed his arms.  “That’s the deal,” he said. Mahesh Das accepted the condition.


He then entered the court and showed the ring to the King. The King immediately recognized Mahesh Das and asked him, “Oh young man! What will you accept as a reward from the king of Hindustan?”

“My Majesty! I will accept 100 lashes as a reward from you,” replied Mahesh Das. The courtiers were stunned and thought that Mahesh was insane. Akbar pondered over his request and asked him the reason.

“I will tell you the reason after receiving my reward" replied Mahesh Das. Then the king’s guard whipped him as per his wish. But after the 50th lash, Mahesh Das requested the King to call the guard who was at the gate.

The guard appeared before the King. He was happy at the thought that he was about to be rewarded richly. But to his surprise, Mahesh Das told the King, “Your Majesty, this greedy guard let me inside on the condition that I pay him half the reward I receive from you. I wanted to teach him a lesson. Please give the remaining 50 lashes to him so that I can keep my promise to him."


The king ordered the guard to be given the 50 lashes immediately along with 5 years of imprisonment. The king was very happy with Mahesh Das. He invited the young man to stay at the palace and serve as his royal advisor. He gave him the name “BIRBAL” and made him his chief minister.

         Long ago and far away, there lived a pretty and kind-hearted girl named Ella. She was living happily with her mother and father. Her world turned upside down when her beloved mother died and her pained father remarried another woman, the wicked, cold, cruel Lady Tremaine, who had two equally cruel daughters, the jealous Anastasia and Drizella.
         One day Ella's father had to go on a trip. He asked Ella to take good care of her stepmother and stepsisters. But, once more, things went from bad to worse, when Cinderella's father too died of sickness during his trip, leaving her all alone in the Lady's clutches to serve as her maid-of-all-work. Ella's stepmother scolded her always. All her love, kind thoughts and every home comfort were for her own daughters. Ella had to work hard all day to make everyone happy. But her life was very miserable. It was she who had to wake up each morning when it was still dark and cold to start the fire. It was she who cooked the meals. It was she who kept the fire going. The poor girl could not stay clean, from all the ashes and cinders by the fire. One day, her stepsisters said, "Look at her, gathering cinders from the fireplace. Let's call her Cinderella." And that is how "Ella became Cinderella.”


          Meanwhile, the palace announced an invitation for a royal ball. The invitation excited the stepsisters and stepmother so much that they spent all the day discussing over which gowns and hairstyles suited them finest. Cinderella has no suitable party dress for a ball, but her friends the mice, led by Jaques and Gus, and the birds lend a hand in making her one dress. On the night of the royal ball, Cinderella helped her sisters getting ready. But her evil stepsisters tore apart her dress and went off to the royal ball, leaving Cinderella to cry and cry.


        Suddenly, a Fairy Godmother appeared and waved her magic wand. With a flick of her magic wand, Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful gown and a pair of golden sparkling slippers. "How can I.... Oh! How can I thank you?" Cinderella could hardly speak. Soon Cinderella found herself in a golden coach with a coachman. As Cinderella's coach moved, the fairy Godmother said, "Remember, on stroke of twelve, leave the palace." Cinderella promised to obey her command and drove off to the palace.

         When Cinderella entered the palace, everyone's head turned to see who the beautiful girl could be. Even the Prince was enchanted by her and chose to dance the night away only with the beautiful Cinderella.


        Cinderella was enjoying her dance. Suddenly, she heard the clock strike twelve and remembered the fairy's warning. She quickly left the Prince's arm and fled the palace. But in haste, she left one of her slippers.


         The Prince picked up the slipper and the next day announced that he would marry the lady whose left foot would fit the lost slipper.
         The next day, the King's men traveled the countryside with the lost slipper to fit every woman in the land. They found no matches. Finally, they reached Cinderella's house and tried it on everyone. Only Cinderella who was working in the house was left. The ministers insisted Cinderella to try the slipper as well. When Cinderella wore the slipper, to everyone's astonishment, it fitted perfectly.


        They took Cinderella to the King's palace and brought her before the Prince. The Prince was happy to find his love. Soon, they got married and lived a happy life thereafter.

Mahashivaratri

          Puranas contain many stories and legends describing the origin of this festival.

         According to one, during the Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison(Halahal) emerged from the ocean. This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

         According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma, and Vishnu, were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness.

         At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity.

          A legend explains the all-night worship of Shiva on Shivratri. There was once a poor tribal man who was a great devotee of Shiva. One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However, he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.

      There is another possible reason for the origin of the all-night worship. Being a moonless night, people worshipped the god who wears the crescent moon as an adornment in his hair, Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the moon rose the next night.

        Immediately after Mahashivaratri, almost like a miracle, the trees are full of flowers as if to announce that after winter, the fertility of the earth has been rejuvenated. And this perhaps is the reason why the Linga is worshipped throughout India as a symbol of fertility. The festivities differ in various parts of India. In southern Karnataka, for example, children are allowed to get into all kinds of mischief and asking for punishment is the rule of the day, probably originating from the mythological incident of Shiva punishing Brahma for lying. The Vishvanatha Temple at Kashi in Varanasi celebrates the Linga (symbolic of the pillar of light) and the manifestation of Shiva as the light of supreme wisdom.

          Mahashivaratri is thus not only a ritual but also a cosmic definition of the Hindu universe. It dispels ignorance, emanates the light of knowledge, makes one aware of the universe, ushers in the spring after the cold and dry winter, and invokes the supreme power to take cognizance of the beings that were created by him.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was one of the bravest, most progressive and sensible rulers of India. The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, Shivaji was born to be a natural leader and fighter on 19th February 1630 in the prestigious Shivneri Fort. He was the son of Shahaji Bhosle and Jija Bai. Shivaji was brought up at Poona under the supervision of his mother and Dadaji Konda-dev. Dadaji Konda-dev made Shivaji an expert soldier and an efficient administrator. Till date, the day is celebrated as Shiv Jayanti with great rigor and traditional style by Maharashtrians.

Shivaji established a royal name for himself in history with his administrative skills by upholding the Swarajya values and the Maratha heritage. He was known for his bravery and tactics with which he won numerous wars against the Mughals. Remembering the greatest Maratha ruler on his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Shivaji.

1. Known as the Father of Indian Navy, Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of having a naval force, and therefore he strategically established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra.  The Jaigad, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and other such forts still stand to testify his efforts and ideas.

2. Contrary to popular belief, Shivaji was not named after Lord Shiva. In fact, he was named after a regional Goddess Shivai. His mother prayed to the goddess for a son and was blessed with one. The god-like statue was given to him for his deeds, and not his name.

3. The secular ruler was very accommodating of all religions. He had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army. His only aim was to overthrow the Mughal rule and establish the Maratha empire. He was also very supportive of people who converted to Hinduism.

4. Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honor. He opposed all kinds of violence, harassment, and dishonor against women. Anyone under his rule caught violating woman's rights was severely punished. In fact, women of captured territories were also released unharmed, and with integrity.

5. Chhatrapati Shivaji was called as the 'Mountain Rat' and was widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. He was called so because of his awareness in the geography of his land, and guerrilla tactics like raiding, ambushing and surprise attacks on his enemies. He knew the importance of a good army, and with his skills, expanded his father's 2000 soldier army to 10,000 soldiers.

Important events in Shivaji’s Life-

1. Conquest of Torana: It was the first fort captured by Shivaji as Chieftain of Marathas which led the foundation of his ruling attributes of valor and determination at the age of 16. This conquest drove him to capture other forts like Raigarh and Pratapgarh. Due to these conquests, the Sultan of Bijapur got panicked and he put Shahaji, Shivaji's father in prison. In AD 1659, Shivaji again tried to attack Bijapur then the Sultan of Bijapur sent his general, Afzal Khan, to capture Shivaji. But Shivaji managed to escape and killed him with a deadly weapon called Baghnakh or the tiger's claw. Finally, in 1662, the Sultan of Bijapur made a peace treaty with Shivaji and made him an independent ruler of his conquered territories.


2. Conquest of Kondana fort:  The fort was under the control of Nilkanth Rao. It was fought between Tanaji Malusare, a commander of Maratha ruler Shivaji and Udaybhan Rathod, fort keeper under Jai Singh I.

3. Coronation of Shivaji: In AD 1674, Shivaji declared himself as an independent ruler of Maratha Kingdom and crowned as Chhatrapati at Raigarh. His coronation symbolizes the rise of people who challenged the legacy of Mughal’s. After the coronation, he got the title of ‘Haindava Dharmoddharak’ (Protector of Hindu faith) of the newly formed state of Hindavi Swarajya. This coronation gave a legitimate right to collect land revenue and levy tax on the people.


4. Alliance with Qutub Shahi rulers Golconda: With the help of this alliance, he led the campaign into Bijapur Karanataka (AD 1676-79) and conquered Gingee (Jingi), Vellore and many forts in Karnataka.

Shivaji’s administration was largely influenced by Deccan administrative practices. He appointed eight ministers who were called ‘Astapradhan’ who assisted him in the administrative helm of affairs. He levied a tax on the land which was one-fourth of the land revenue i.e. Chauth or Chauthai. He was not only proved to be an able general, a skillful tactician, and a shrewd diplomat, he also laid the foundation of a strong state by curbing the power of the deshmukhi.

         Tenali Rama Krishna was an Indian poet, scholar, thinker and a special advisor in the court of King Shri Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara emperor. He was known for his amazing wit, humor, and extraordinary intelligence. He was one of the Ashtadiggajas or the eight poets at the court. He was also a great scholar of several languages that included Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Marathi, and Tamil. All the stories of Tenali Raman tell us about his relationship with the king, his wisdom and his problem-solving capabilities. Acquaint your child with Tenali Rama Krishna with his amazing tales.

          Once when King Krishnadevaraya had gone to survey the jail, two burglars who were prisoners there, asked for his mercy. They told him that they were experts at burglary and could help the king in catching other thieves.



         The king being a kind ruler asked his guards to release them but with a condition. He told the burglars that he would release them and appoint them as his spies only if they could break into his advisor Tenali Raman’s house and steal valuables from there. The thieves agreed for the challenge.


           That same night the two thieves went to Tenali Raman’s house and hid behind some bushes. After dinner, when Tenali Raman came out for a stroll, he heard some rustling sound of leaves coming from the bushes. There was not even the slightest breeze blowing at the time, so he presumed that there were some thieves hiding in the bushes. He figured that they must be planning to rob his house in the night.



        After some time he went in and thought of a plan. He said to his wife loudly, “My dear, we have to be careful about our valuables. I have heard that some notorious thieves are on the loose in our neighborhood. So, let’s hide all the gold and silver coins, jewelry and money that we have in a box and drop the box into our well. It’ll be safe there under the water."

       A little later, Tenali Raman and his wife came out of the house carrying a big wooden box with a huge lock to the well in the backyard of his house. Making sure that they were being watched by the thieves, they lifted the box and dropped it into the well. Then they went back inside the house and pretended to be asleep.


          The thieves waited for a while and then started drawing water from the well. They hoped to empty the well and get the treasure. The thieves kept drawing out the water the entire night. Towards daybreak, they managed to pull out the trunk, and when they opened it, they were extremely shocked and disappointed to see only some big stones in it.


         The two thieves understood that it was Tenali Raman’s plan to outsmart them. Just then, Tenali Raman came out of his house and said, “Thank you, friends, for letting me sleep well at night and also for watering my plants. I must pay you for your labor.”
Hearing this, the thieves fell at Tenali’s feet for forgiveness. They promised not to steal or rob anyone ever again. Tenali decides to let them go.



Moral- Keeping cool and using your wit in dire situations can help you get out of them.

         Children you all know who Guru Dronacharya was? He was the royal Guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He used to teach them military arts. Near the ashrama of Drona, there lived a small bright boy, shudra by caste. His name was Eklavya. Once, Eklavya asked Guru Dronacharya, “Gurudev, will you teach me the art of archery?” Eklavya aspired to study archery in the gurukul of Dronacharya, the greatest known teacher. Dronacharya was in a dilemma as he had promised King Bhishma that he will teach this art only to the princes. Eklavya was not a prince, so Dronacharya was reluctant to teach him and he duly conveyed his refusal to Eklavya.
          Deeply dejected by Dronacharya’s rejection, Eklavya returned home. But he was not be put off, his determination knew no bounds. Near his house, under a tree, Eklavya installed a clay idol of Dronacharya that he worshiped as his Guru! Daily, morning and evening, this devotee put flowers and natural perfumes in front of this idol. He took Self-Lessons in the art of bow and arrow every single day. After practicing for years together, Eklavya eventually became an exceptional archer. He attributed his success to his Guru Dronacharya.


          Once Guru Dronacharya took the Pandava and Kaurava to the forest for practicing archery. It was a pleasant and peaceful evening. But the tranquility and silence were broken by constant barking of a dog. Disturbed in his practice by the dog, Eklavya fired seven arrows in the dog's mouth with such caution and skill that it stopped his barking without injuring the dog. Curious Arjuna asked Guru Drona, "O Gurudev, who could have done this delicate job." Even Dronacharya was amazed and knew the archer must be an exceptionally skilled artist. They decided to trace this skillful fellow and reached the spot where Eklavya was practicing wonders with his bow and arrow in front of the clay image of Drona.
         It took no time for Dronacharya to understand the situation. He realized that Eklavya was superior to Arjuna in some respects. He had promised King Bhishma that he would make Arjun the finest archer in the kingdom and he knew that his promise would be broken now as Eklavya had surpassed Arjun in that skill. Hence the Guru thought for a while and came to a decision to remove Eklavya as a competitor to Arjuna.



         Dronacharya went to Eklavya and said, "O young man, who has taught you such wonderful skills in archery! Who is your Guru?".
         Seeing the Guru in front of him, the boy Eklavya was more than overjoyed and said, "Why, O Gurudev, this all is your grace! I worship you as my Guru. Look you are there in that image!"
        Dronacharya was pleased with the dedication of Eklavya, and said, "I bless you, my son. But as is customary, won't you give me my fees - Guru-Dakshina!"
        [It is customary in India to give to the Guru whatever he demands as his fees - Guru-Dakshina for the knowledge the Guru has given to the disciple.]
        Eklavya was overwhelmed to see Dronacharya had accepted him as his disciple! Out he said, "O Guru, whatever you ask, this humble disciple of yours will try his utmost to offer you as Guru-Dakshina! I am blessed."
       And now comes a very touching and pathetic incidence in Mahabharata.
       Guru Drona said, "O Eklavya, I am pleased with your respect for Guru. I want the thumb of your right hand as my Guru-Dakshina."
        Everyone was startled on hearing this. The trees and atmosphere around stood still for a minute! Even Arjuna was stunned on listening to the unusual and almost cruel demand of his Guru. To ask for the thumb of an archer was equivalent to almost killing him! How could Dronacharya demand such a heavy prize from one disciple to protect the honor of the other!
        But Eklavya had no such remorse. Unruffled and with due humility, cheerfully and without protest, he cut his right thumb and placed at the feet of Dronacharya. Gods in heaven silently praised the greatness of Eklavya's sacrifice.

          Filled with emotions, Dronacharya blessed Eklavya, “Son, as I have promised Arjun he will be the best archer. However, as long as this universe exists, you will be known all over the world for your faith and devotion unto your Guru.”

         Children love to listen to stories; especially the ones that tickle their funny bone! Most of us grew up listening to the famous stories of the great King Akbar and one of his courtesans, Birbal. Birbal was a Hindu Kayastha, advisor and main commander of an army in the court of the Mughal emperor, Akbar. He is mostly known in the Indian subcontinent for the Folk Tales which focus on his wit. Birbal was appointed by Akbar as a Minister and used to be a Poet and Singer.
    Once on a cold winter day, Akbar and Birbal were walking by a lake. A thought came to Birbal that a man would do anything for money. He expressed his feelings to Akbar. Akbar then put his finger into the lake and immediately removed it because he shivered with cold. Akbar said, “I don’t think a man would spend an entire night in the cold water of this lake for money.” Birbal replied, “I am sure I can find such a person.” Akbar then challenged Birbal into finding such a person and said that he would reward the person with a thousand gold coins.
           Birbal took the challenge and searched far and wide until he found a poor man who was desperate enough to accept the challenge. Soon, Birbal found a poor man who agreed to undertake the challenge for a thousand gold coins. Guarded by two royal guards, the poor man spent the entire night standing in the freezing water. The next morning the guards took the poor man to Akbar. Akbar asked the poor man if he had indeed spent the night in the lake. The poor man replied that he had. Akbar then asked the poor man how he managed to spend the night in the lake.


            The poor man replied, "My Lord, I kept looking at a lamp that was burning at distance and spent the entire night looking at it.” On learning this, Akbar said, "This man is not worthy of the reward as he could manage to stand in the lake because he was getting warmth from the lamp." The poor man felt heartbroken. He reached out to Birbal for help.
           Birbal tried to say something in the favor of the poor man but Akbar refused to listen to him. The next day, Birbal did not go to court. The king wondering where he was, sent a messenger to his home. The messenger came back saying that Birbal would come once his Khichdi(Rice) was cooked. The king waited for a long time but Birbal did not come. Akbar sent another messenger to call Birbal but he also returned alone. Finally, the king decided to go to Birbal’s house and see what he was up to.


         To his amusement, he found Birbal sitting on the floor near some burning twigs and a bowl filled with Khichdi(Rice) hanging five feet above the fire. The king and his attendants couldn’t help but laugh.
            Akbar then said to Birbal “How can the Khichdi(Rice) be cooked if it so far away from the fire? Are you in your senses, Birbal?”
            Birbal answered, “O’ Jahapanah! If it is possible for a person to stay warm by simply looking at the lamp burning at a distance, then it is also possible for me to cook this khichdi a meter away from the fire.”
            Akbar understood Birbal's point and rewarded the poor man for completing the challenge.

Moral: A small ray of hope is enough to inspire the one who is ready to work hard to turn his dream into a reality.

yellow baby ducklings came out. Then the big egg started to crack. Bang, bang, bang! One big, ugly duckling came out. ‘That’s strange,’ thought Mummy Duck. 

        Soon, the news spread around the farm and all the other animals laughed at him. Nobody wanted to play with him. ‘Go away,’ said his brothers and sisters.

‘You’re ugly!’ The ugly duckling was sad. So he went to find some new friends. 'Go away!’ said the pig. ‘Go away!’ said the sheep. ‘Go away!’ said the cow. ‘Go away!’ said the horse. 'Where did he come from, an animal so ugly?' They would say to each other. No one wanted to be his friend. It went on from day to day... The poor dark duckling was tired of the jokes and insults. At last, he decided to run away.

           Long, long ago, Bagheera, the panther was roaming in the heart of a dense forest in search of food. Suddenly he caught sight of a baby-boy lying in a small basket with a handle. Bagheera exclaimed, "My Goodness! how has this human baby got here?" Bagheera took the baby to Raksha, the mother-wolf, and said to her, "You have been blessed with a litter of cubs. Here is a human baby. Would you take care of it as well?" Raksha and her husband Akela, the leader of wolves, happily undertook to bring up the baby. They named it Mowgli.

Bhaloo was shocked to see that the monkeys had hung Mowgli upside down. Though the monkeys were afraid of Bhaloo, yet they mocked at him. Bhaloo attacked them with his powerful paws flinging them here and there on the ground. But they also counter-attacked him. Luckily, Kaa, the serpent, came to Bhaloo's help and the naughty monkeys were duly punished. So they had to run away for their lives. Seeing Mowgli free from the grips of the monkeys, Bhaloo and Kaa were very happy. Mowgli thanked Bhaloo and Kaa from the core of his heart. Just then Bhaloo brought a bunch of ripe bananas for Mowgli who put on a broad smile to see them. Then both of them made for their lair in a joyous mood.

            In order to refresh themselves, Bhaloo and Mowgli had a hearty bath in a nearby river. One day, Bhaloo and Mowgli were strolling along the river-bank. Suddenly Mowgli caught sight of a strange face at the other bank. It was indeed a girl who had come to fill a pitcher with water. She was the first human being Mowgli had chanced to see. Charmed by the looks of the girl and to know more about her, Mowgli followed her. As he had been living with jungle animals, he was curious to know about humans. Bagheera and Bhaloo looked at Mowgli following the girl leaving all his friends behind. They felt very sad but seeing Mowgli happy, they wished him all the best as they knew that he belonged to the human world.