Fascinating Stories From India

By Rituja Sawant

India's love of stories is well known. From every nook and cranny of our great country emerge stories that stupefy and enchant young readers like you!

This collection includes a Santhal tale from Odisha; a story from the inner reaches of hilly Kumaon; a yarn from the forests of Nagaland; and much more. Join Amar Chitra Katha on a journey of fascinating stories through the length and breadth of India!

Adapted from the original AMAR CHITRA KATHA comics for the first time!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harper Children's
• Release date: Mar 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9789354897177

Rituja Sawant

Rituja Sawant believes that books are a definitive way to travel in time and space. She is an artist, writer and content developer from Mumbai who is passionate about stories, art and all things history!

Book preview

A SANTHAL TALE OF CREATION

A Folktale from Odisha

In the beginning, the world was not as we know it today. There was only water everywhere. And the world was concealed under these primordial waters… deep, blue-black and mysterious…

In a classroom in a small village in Mayurbhanj, chaos broke out. Everyone started to speak at once.

Only water… how can that be?

Did humans also breathe under water?

Deep and blue-black? Sounds cold and scary…

How did the water hide the whole world?

What’s primordial?

The storyteller raised both his hands asking the students to sit down and replied, All right, all right… settle down. Let’s listen to the story and see if it answers all your questions.

Every week, the school had a special storytelling session, where an elderly person from the village would come and share captivating folk stories from their tribe. These stories had travelled down from one generation to the next; through the oral tradition of storytelling, often told during festivals around a bonfire. The ancient tales were narrated in a sing-song way, their rhythmic words often repeated as a chorus.

Today’s storyteller was a wise old gentleman from the Santhal tribe who was eager to share the fascinating tale of creation, a version retold specially by his tribe of Mayurbhanj, Odisha. The Santhal tribe is the largest tribal population in South Asia and they mostly live in the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The storyteller stood in the centre of the classroom, all eyes were on him and continued…

As I was saying, in ancient times, the world as we know it, was surrounded by deep dark waters.

As ‘Thakur Baba’, the supreme being of the Santhal tribe, watched the churning and chaos of the oceans, he wondered to himself, Hmm… these waters are simply magnificent… but they are hiding a whole world within… How do I begin the process of creation?

He pondered on how to raise the earth out of the water as he wanted to create many different forms of life, including the first people.

It was in deep meditation that the answer came to him. Of course! I must seek the help of Lita Gadet!

And so, the divine Thakur Baba summoned his most ardent follower. Lita Gadet is a god-sage in the Santhal culture, similar to Narada, considered the son of Brahma in Hindu tradition. It is believed that Lita Gadet could walk around the universe in a mere two and a half steps in the blink of an eye!

As Lita Gadet appeared in front of his beloved deity, he bowed his head in reverence. My lord! I came as soon as I received your summons. How can I be of service to you?

Thakur Baba was pleased to meet his most dedicated devotee and raised his hand in blessing. My dear Lita, I have a special task for you. Are you up for a challenge?

Speak, O Great One! Your wish is my command!

The earth is submerged under water. We need to find a way to bring it out of the deep waters.

Lita Gadet thought momentarily and then his face lit up. I think I may have a solution, my dear lord. What if we could find someone strong enough in the waters to lift out the earth?

That is a good idea. But who can we ask?

Thakur Baba, there are many good options. There is the turtle, the Balia fish, the crocodile and many more. We have only to ask for their help and we shall receive it.

And so, Lita sat down with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and started with a series of invocations and chants. He first sang an invocation to the ancient Hindu deity Indra and then the other gods.

… All you creatures who live in these deep, mysterious waters, please come out. We need your help!

The mighty turtle was the first to