The folklores and folktales have been an eternal part
of every culture since ages. When it comes to Indian folk tales, the
country of diverse religions, languages and cultures has a complete
range of tales and short stories. Indian folklore has a wide range of
stories and mythological legends, which emerge from all walks of life.
The interesting stories range from the remarkable Panchatantra
to Hitopadesha, from Jataka to Akbar-Birbal.
Not only this, the great Indian epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata
and Bhagvad Gita are full of didactic stories inspired from
the lives of great souls. Being full of moralistic values, Indian
folklore makes perfect stories for children, who are required to be,
instilled with right values. All these ancient stories have been passed
from generation to generation, creating bondage of traditional values
with present-day generation.
Hitopadesha Tales
The Hitopadesha is a remarkable compilation of short stories. Composed
by Narayana Pandit, Hitopadesha had its origin around a thousand years
ago. In Indian Literature, the Hitopadesha is regarded more or less
similar to the Panchatantra. In the vein of Panchatantra, the Hitopadesa
was also written in Sanskrit and following the pattern of prose and
verse. Hitopadesh tales are written in reader-friendly way, which also
contributed to the success of this best seller after Bhagwad Gita
in India. Since its origin, Hitopadesa has been translated into numerous
languages to benefit the readers all over the world.
Jataka Tales
In 300 B.C, the Jataka Tales were written for the mankind to gain
knowledge and morality. Ever since, Jataka tales have become story books
that are both enjoyable as well as knowledgeable. Originally written in
Pali language, Jataka Buddhist tales have been translated in different
languages around the world. The luminous fables of Jataka
are intended to impart values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and
other informative values to people.
Panchatantra Tales
The Panchatantra is a legendary collection of short stories from India.
Originally composed in the 2nd century B.C, Panchatantra is believed to
be written by Vishnu Sharma along with many other scholars. The purpose
behind the composition was to implant moral values and governing skills
in the young sons of the king. The ancient Sanskrit text boasts of
various animal stories in verse and prose. During all these centuries,
many authors and publishers worked hard to make these fables accessible
and readable by a layman. The grand assortment has extraordinary tales
that are liked, perhaps even loved by people of every age group.
Indian folk tales form an important part of the
culture of India. Read more about the Indian folklore and stories.
Cultural India : Indian Folktales