Business card Country area: 3 million 288 thousand km 2 Population: 1 billion 10 million people Capital: Delhi Form of government: republic ATU: federation India is one of the oldest states in the world. In the past it was a colony of Great Britain, after the Second World War it achieved independence.
Economic-geographical position It is separated from China by the mountainous country of the Himalayas. Along the foothills of the Himalayas, the great river Ganges flows through the lowlands. It is considered the sacred river of India. With the discovery of sea routes to India by Europeans, the era of great geographical discoveries began. India passes through the world's maritime trade routes from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, and is also located halfway between the Middle and Far East.
Population India ranks second in population in the world, after China. Scientists count about 1.6 thousand dialects here. The official language is Hindi (the language of Hindustani, the largest Indian nation) and English. Bilingualism is widespread. The distribution of India's population is uneven.
Population The most densely populated areas are the fertile lowlands, plains in valleys and river deltas, and the sea coast. The level of urbanization (urban growth) in India is relatively low (30 – 40%). Major cities in India: Delhi, Kolkata, Bompey, Chennai. The majority of the population lives in villages (there are more than 600 thousand), large and crowded. Almost ¼ of Indians live below the official poverty level.
Religion Hindus, Muslims 80% of the population are Hindus, Muslims constitute the largest religious minority - 11%, Sikhs - Buddhists 2.2% - Sikhs, Buddhists only 0.7%, most of whom converted to Buddhism quite recently. India is a secular state and any discrimination on religious grounds is punishable by law.
Industry The chemical industry focuses on the production of mineral fertilizers. Pharmaceuticals are developing. India is the world's chromium exporter. It occupies a leading place in reserves of graphite, beryl, thorium, zirconium, and second place in the world in titanium mining. Light industry is a traditional sector of the Indian economy, especially cotton and jute. The food industry produces goods for both domestic consumption and export. India ranks first in the world in tea exports.
Agriculture of India The leading branch of agriculture in India is crop production. In India they grow: grain crops: rice, wheat, corn, millet. The main industrial crops are cotton, jute, tea, sugar cane, tobacco, oilseeds (peanuts, rapeseed, etc.). Coconut palms, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, citrus fruits, herbs and spices are also grown.
Livestock Livestock farming is the second most important agricultural sector in India, far behind crop production. India ranks first in the world in the number of cattle and one of the last in the consumption of meat products, since the religious views of Hinduism support vegetarianism and prohibit eating beef and killing cows (in ancient India they were a symbol of fertility and prosperity). In coastal areas, fishing is of great importance.
Aviation, road, sea and river transport are also developed. Indian car "Tata Nano" An-32. Indian Air Force Indian warship "Tabar"
Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of regional styles and sophisticated use of kitchen roots, herbs and seasonings. The main food products in the regions are rice and wheat. The most famous seasoning, originally originating in the Indian subcontinent and now consumed throughout the world, is black pepper.
INDIA - THE HOMELAND OF TALES ABOUT ANIMALS
India is the birthplace of many fables and tales about animals. Get to know them. Which ones did you like best? How? What beliefs are associated with the fact that in ancient Indian literature the characters are often animals?
India is the birthplace of many fables and tales about animals. This is largely due to the mythological and religious beliefs of the ancient Hindus. In Hindu beliefs, all living things in the world contain a divine spark, and in this respect, man differs from animals only in form. At the same time, a person, an animal, and even a plant is only one of the transitional forms into which the immortal soul is reincarnated on its path to perfection. Therefore, according to Hindu beliefs, every living creature contains a soul, perhaps even that of their ancestor.
The fauna of India is large and diverse. Since ancient times, Hindus have lived among numerous animals, which have become part of the life and beliefs of Hindus. Hindus worship some deities in the form of animals. Vishnu, for example, incarnated on earth as a fish, as a turtle, as a boar, in one of his incarnations he was half lion, half man. In addition, animals are vehicles and indispensable attributes of many Gods in Hinduism and Vedic mythology. Animals represent the energy of their gods and, like their owners themselves, are objects of worship.
For example, a cow represents abundance, purity, and holiness. Just like Mother Earth, the cow gives selfless sacrifice. It produces milk and other dairy products, which serve as the basis of a vegetarian diet. According to Hindu mythology, in order for a Hindu to reach heaven after death, he must swim across a river. This can only be done with the help of a cow, holding on to its tail. Today in India, pedestrians and motorists give way to these sacred animals without further ado. And if, God forbid, you run over a cow, you can get a serious fine or even life imprisonment. Once on one of the busy roads there was a traffic jam for almost a day, because one such sacred animal decided to lie down, right in the middle of the street.
Monkeys are considered sacred animals in India. According to an ancient legend, the monkey king Hanuman stole delicious mangoes from the garden of the mythical giant and gave them to people. Also in ancient Indian legends, the monkey Hanuman helps the hero Rama to save the beautiful princess Sita.
The Indians were afraid of snakes and tried to appease them. They placed lumps of boiled rice around the house as a treat for the snakes in the hope that the snakes would not bite people. Snakes crawl into Indian homes completely without permission. This happens especially often during the rainy season, when water floods their burrows. The spectacled cobra is considered sacred in Hinduism. On it rests the god Vishnu, the patron of goodness and law, in the waves of the world ocean. Cobras also wrap around the neck of the omnipotent Shiva. They wrap their rings around their hands and head. Buddha sat under the swollen hoods of a multi-headed cobra during his sermons, having previously turned her to the path of good, by the power of his teaching. In some provinces of India, the cult of cobra is widespread. One Indian woman even married a snake. For several years, the woman brought milk to her hole, which she accepted with gratitude. And she never even attempted to attack. At that time, the woman fascinated by the cobra was seriously ill, but she did not have the means to pay for treatment. The newlywed was sure that daily communication with the snake cured her illness. After the wedding, the new bride moved into a hut built next to the snake's hole.
Elephants enjoy special attention and respect among Indians. According to Hindu traditions, any person who harms an elephant incurs a curse. After all, the Earth rests on four elephants. So, one of the main gods was the wise god Ganesha with the head of an elephant. The Indians managed to tame the elephants, and they helped the Indians by dragging heavy logs or participating in battles.
We all remember the famous story about the brave mongoose Riki-Tiki-Tavi, the story about the cat who walked by itself, and the fairy tale about Mowgli from The Jungle Book, which became famous thanks to animated film adaptations. These stories were written by the English writer Rudyard Kipling, who was born in India and introduced Indian traditions of animal tales into his works. Indeed, India is home to numerous animal tales. In them, animals talk, feel, make friends, quarrel and make peace, show wisdom and ingenuity, betray each other and receive a well-deserved punishment for betrayal. Everything is like people. The same vices and worthy qualities. Using animals as an example, Indian fairy tales provide moral education for children, showing what is good and what is bad.
Municipal state educational institution
"Baranovskaya secondary school"
History Project
“India is the birthplace of fairy tales
about animals"
Completed by a 5th grade student
Ivanova Kristina
Head: Grigorova L. M.,
history and social studies teacher
With. Baranovo.
Introduction
1. Sacred animals of India
2. Tales about animals, their features and varieties
Conclusion
Sources of information
Applications
Introduction
India is one of the most amazing countries in the world. Perhaps no country can compare with its rich culture, its customs, traditions, and religions. My acquaintance with India began in childhood, when I read R. Kipling’s fairy tale “Mowgli”. And then we studied India in history lessons.
India is located on the Hindustan Peninsula. It has a rich flora and fauna. India is a “land of wonders”. She gave the world many amazing discoveries: cotton fabrics, cane sugar, seasonings, chess, numbers. India is a multinational country. Each nation has its own culture, language, traditions. India is a country with rich religious traditions.
Problem:
Why did animal stories appear in India?
Target my project: to find out the connection between religious beliefs and Indian folklore.
find information on the topic;
establish a connection between religious beliefs and the plots of Indian fairy tales;
4) select and systematize the necessary material;
5) compose a literary booklet of Indian fairy tales and recommend it to classmates for reading.
I did not choose the topic of this project by chance. I and all the kids in our class love fairy tales, especially fairy tales about animals. In history class we learned that India is considered the birthplace of fairy tales. “Why her?” I thought and decided to find out about this in more detail and introduce my research to the guys.
Sacred Animals of India
Hinduism is one of the ancient and main religions of India. Hinduism is a belief in myths and legends, the worship of gods, of which there are several thousand, but the main three are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. Hinduism is a way of life that emphasizes respect for animals. All animals were considered the brothers and sisters of man, whose common father was God. Hinduism emphasizes the kinship of man with all animals, and this makes it impossible to have a hostile or even indifferent attitude towards animals. Indians believe in the transmigration of souls - this is called reincarnation. If a person treats animals cruelly, then after death his soul will move into the soul of this animal and will also be subjected to violence. For the same reason, most Indians are vegetarians - they do not eat meat.
A special place in the religious beliefs of Hindus is the worship of sacred animals. The most revered animal in India is the cow. This animal is shown the greatest respect everywhere. She can move freely around streets , creating traffic jams. A normal sight for the streets of Delhi and Bombay is a situation where a cow blocked traffic and lay down to rest across roads. And the cars, in turn, wait patiently when animal will give way. Killing a cow is considered the most terrible crime in India. Ate beef in the next world there are so many difficult years of suffering, How many the cow has hairs on its body. Many temples in India hold festivals dedicated to cow . On this day, the cow is decorated with expensive, beautiful fabrics and garlands, and various dishes are presented to them. The cow represents abundance, purity, holiness. Just like Mother Earth, the cow is the principle of selfless sacrifice. It produces milk and other dairy products, which serve as the basis of a vegetarian diet.
Elephants enjoy special attention and respect among Indians. According to Hindu traditions, any person who harms an elephant incurs a curse. One of the most revered and widespread deities in Hinduism is the elephant-headed god Ganesh. It brings wealth and prosperity. Helps in business and removes any obstacles.
Today, the elephant is a hardworking helper for peasants. Recently, regular censuses of these giants have begun to be carried out in India. The elephant's passport indicates the gender, age and special features. Along with the passport, it is planned to introduce work books, where all actions in the field of serving people will be recorded. Elephant festivals are held in India in the spring. Dressed up giant elephants proudly parade through the streets, participate in various competitions and even dance. And in the fall, Ganesh's birthday is celebrated. Fruits, milk, and flowers are brought to the statues of the elephant god.
Another sacred animal is the rat. In the town of Deshnok, in Rajasthan, there is a unique temple created specifically for these animals. It bears the name of Karni Mata, a Hindu saint. She lived in the XIV-XVI centuries, and showed the world many miracles. Her mission is victory over obstacles, pain and suffering, protection, as well as destruction of everything that interferes with development.
According to local residents, there are more than twenty thousand rats here. These are the happiest rats in the world. People do not disdain them, do not scream in horror when they approach. On the contrary, pilgrims from all over the country flock here to bring tribute to the rats, feed them, and express their respect. This is the only place in the world where people worship rats. Indians treat these animals with love and respect and firmly believe that they will bring happiness. Candy bitten by a rat is considered a sacred food.
The monkeys that live everywhere in India are also surrounded by an aura of holiness in India. According to legend, the kingdom of Hampi in Goya state was once ruled by monkeys, two brothers Bali and Sugriva. The evil Bali expelled his brother, and Sugriva and his devoted companions joined the army of King Rama. Rama helped him take the throne. Sugriva's friend Hanuman became Rama's faithful assistant. It was he who tied a torch to his tail to consecrate the battlefield and help Rama defeat the evil demon. Despite their holiness, monkeys often irritate Indians with their importunity, curiosity and thievery. A few years ago, near Jaipur, a monkey appeared and robbed houses after knocking on the door.
The spectacled cobra is considered sacred in Hinduism. According to legend, the god Vishnu, the patron of goodness and law, rests on it in the waves of the world ocean. Cobras also wrap around the neck of the omnipotent Shiva. They cover both the arms and the head with their rings. Buddha sat under the swollen hoods of a multi-headed cobra during his sermons, having previously turned her to the path of good by the power of his teachings.
Snake charmers are a special caste in India. They can be seen at all fairs and market streets in India, as well as in places visited by tourists. They squat in front of their round baskets, from which swaying cobras stick out, and play the pipes. Sometimes cobras begin to crawl out of their baskets and attempt to escape. But they are immediately caught and returned back.
Tales about animals, their characteristics and varieties
Fairy tales are one of the main genres of Indian folklore. Folklore is poetic creativity that grows on the basis of the labor activity of mankind, reflecting the experience of thousands of years.
Fairy tales are epic, mostly prosaic works of a magical, adventurous or everyday nature with a fictional attitude. Their beginning was lost in the darkness of primitive times. Not every invention became a fairy tale. According to tradition, only what was important for people was passed down from generation to generation. Storytellers expressed the wisdom of their people, their aspirations and dreams. This is where the originality and uniqueness of fairy tales comes from.
The diverse and rich nature of India has greatly influenced the folk culture of its regions. The general name for wild, impenetrable nature in India is jungle. Indian nature has been the subject of numerous tales and fables such as the Panchatantra and the Jatakas.
The genres of fairy tales are different: everyday, magical, fairy tales, legends, fairy tales about animals. Fairy tales can be original or folk. There are fairy tales that are instructive, kind, sad, and funny. But they are all magical. People believe in magic, and that goodness, truth and purity of thoughts will definitely prevail over evil, lies and pretense, and peace, love and justice will reign in the world.
The tales are based on religious beliefs and the diversity of Indian wildlife. The characters in Indian folk tales about animals are usually represented by images of wild and domestic animals. Images of wild animals prevail over images of domestic animals: fox, panther, etc. Domestic animals are much less common. They do not appear as independent characters, but only in conjunction with wild ones: a cat and a ram, a bull and a pig. There are no tales only about domestic animals in Indian folklore.
The authors of fairy tales endowed animals with human character. They speak human language and act like humans. In fairy tales, animals suffer and rejoice, love and hate, laugh and swear. Each character is an image of a certain animal, behind which stands one or another human character. For example, a jackal is cunning, cowardly; tiger - greedy and always hungry; Leo – strong, domineering; The mouse is weak and harmless. Labor triumphs over wealth, truth over lies, good over evil.
Fairy tales glorify the best human qualities: courage and resourcefulness, hard work and honesty, kindness and justice. Everything negative: selfishness, arrogance, stinginess, laziness, greed, cruelty - inevitably suffers defeat. Fairy tales are full of humor and everyday life situations, and are distinguished by their rich plots.
Each line is imbued with the people’s love for their own culture; they describe in detail the life of the inhabitants of ancient times.
Over the long history of its existence, India many times found itself under the yoke of Muslim rulers, which left a significant imprint on folk art.
After the liberation of India from colonial oppression and the formation of a republic, new collections of fairy tales began to appear in different parts of the country - in Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Braj. In the new collections, folklore is presented for the most part, not in translations, but in those dialects in which the tales were recorded by collectors. Ethnographers and linguists - researchers of small peoples and their languages - do a lot of work in collecting folklore.
Conclusion
Thus, during the work we managed to learn a lot of new and interesting things.
In the folklore of the peoples of the world, fairy tales are the most amazing creation.
Fairy tales are a centuries-old encyclopedia of folk life, but the encyclopedia is lively and entertaining. A magical and truthful, funny and instructive fairy tale is passed on from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation.
Indian nature has been the subject of numerous tales such as the Panchatantra and the Jatakas. In India, the heroes of fairy tales are animals that the inhabitants feared and therefore revered.
Indian fairy tales are distinguished by their rich, fascinating plots. Just like India itself, which attracts with its mysteries, so its fairy tales leave a long, good, unforgettable impression. Fairy tales of ancient India have been translated into many languages of the world, and interesting films and cartoons have been made based on their plots.
The finished product of the work on the topic “India - the birthplace of fairy tales about animals” was the literary booklet “What a delight these fairy tales are.” In it I recommend for reading fairy tales that are in the school and Baranovsk rural libraries. These are not only Indian folk tales, but also tales written by the English writer Rudyard Kipling. He was born and raised in India. All fairy tales are interesting and, most importantly, instructive.
Information sources
Children's encyclopedia "1001 questions and answers", Moscow, "ONICS", 200
A Brief History of Indian Literatures. L., 1974
To prepare this work, materials from the site were used http://www.krugosvet.ru/
http://o-india.ru/2012/10/indijskie-skazki-i-skazki-ob-indii/
http://znanija.com/task/17673603
Appendix No. 1. The sacred animal of India is the cow.
Appendix No. 2. The sacred animal of India is the elephant.
Appendix No. 3. The sacred animal of India is the rat.
Appendix No. 4. The sacred animal of India is the monkey.
Appendix No. 5. The sacred animal of India is the cobra.
Appendix No. 6. Collections of Indian fairy tales Panchatantra and Jataka.
Appendix No. 6. Books of the Baranovsk Rural Library
M, "Children's literature", 1988
“The children are huddled around a gray-bearded storyteller in a snow-white turban. It’s stuffy in the house, but here, in the courtyard, fenced with a blank wall, under the tropical Indian night sky with large stars and a bright moon, it’s easier to breathe. Grandfather’s speech flows smoothly and smoothly. Grandfather tells a fairy tale. At the same time, attention, delight, enthusiasm, and an incomparable feeling of joy from meeting the wonderful were imprinted on the children’s faces,” with these fabulous words begins Volume 3 of the series “Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the World” - “Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia.” The compiler of the volume and the author of the introductory article and notes is Nikulin Nikolai Ivanovich. Indian folk tales included in our audio book are taken from this volume: “Brother Ambe and Brother Rambe”, “The Stupid Crocodile”, “Once Upon a Time There Was a Sparrow”, “The Nightingale and the Cotton Bush”, “How the Sun, the Moon and The wind went to dinner”, “This is for that”, “Good Dhir Singh”, “Golden Fish”, “Pepper Seed”, “Poor Weaver”, “Three Princes”, “Who is afraid of whom?”, “Sant and Basant” , "Test of the Mind", "Stupid Brahmin", "Tenali Ramakrishna's Cat", "Tyani", "Son of the Pandit", "What did the bear whisper in your ear?", "Hard of Hearing", "The Light from the Temple", "The Man Who Went to seek your destiny”, “Sweets from the sky”, “The Rooster and the Cat”, “You don’t mind listening to a fairy tale, but I can’t stand hunger”, “The Hunter and the Crow”, “Ugly name”, “The Pea and the Bobok”. Mostly fairy tales are magical, about animals and everyday.
Animals in fairy tales talk and understand human speech, they help the positive hero. In many Indian tales you will sense a mocking attitude towards monkeys; they apparently reminded the storytellers of fussy and unlucky people. It is not for nothing that in Ancient India they were said to be “changeable, like the thoughts of monkeys.”
We love fairy tales no less. These are fairy tales in which supernatural forces are necessarily at work. All the interest in a fairy tale is focused on the fate of the positive hero.
Later, everyday tales appeared. They do not contain supernatural powers, magical objects or animals with magical powers. In everyday fairy tales, the hero is helped by his own dexterity, ingenuity, as well as the stupidity and slow-wittedness of his opponent. The hero of an Indian fairy tale, the intelligent and resourceful Tenali Ramakrishna, skillfully deceives the tyrant king. In everyday fairy tales there is a hero whom A. M. Gorky aptly called the “ironic successor,” the classic example of which can be Ivanushka, the fool from Russian fairy tales. He is stupid, narrow-minded, but luck accompanies him everywhere. In Indian folklore, such a hero is a stupid brahmana - a priest. He pretends that he is learned and smart, that he understands fortune-telling books, but in fact he shakes with fear every time he needs to show his art. But invariably, chance comes to his rescue every time, and the glory of a wise soothsayer is more and more firmly assigned to him. These are certainly funny tales.
The literature of every nation is rooted in oral folk art. The Indian epic poems Mahabharata and Ramayana are closely associated with Indian folklore. The authors of the ancient Indian collections of stories “Panchatantra” (five books of fables and stories) and “Jataka” drew motifs, plots and images of their works from folk tales. In the 11th century literary monument of the Indian poet Somadeva, “The Ocean of Tales,” there are over three hundred inserted stories: a fairy tale is intertwined with a myth, an anecdote, or a short story. Funny motifs from Indian fairy tales were also included in the huge collection “Ancient Tales,” which appeared in the 11th century in Japan.
Centuries pass, generations change, but interest in the fairy tale does not dry up. Let the most modern format - audio fairy tales - sound tempting in your home. Listen online, download and enjoy Indian folk tales!
“Brother Ambe and Brother Rambe” is an Indian folk audio tale about animals about resourceful mice who managed to outwit the cat, adapted by S. F. Oldenburg. "In one big house there lived a cat, and there were a lot of mice in the house. The cat caught mice, ate them and lived freely. A lot of time passed, the cat got old, and it became difficult for him to catch mice. He thought, he thought, how...
Indian folk audio tale "The Stupid Crocodile", translation by N. Tolstoy. A tale about animals: a predatory, stupid crocodile and a cunning jackal, who every time manages to outwit the crocodile and thereby save his life. “Once upon a time there lived a jackal in his hole near the river... And in the river there lived a crocodile. Every day he hid near the shore under the bushes in the hope that...
“Once upon a time there was a sparrow” - an Indian folk audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World, Volume 3 - Tales of the Peoples of Asia, translation by G. Zograf. “Once upon a time there was a sparrow with a heifer, and there lived a king. The sparrow and the hen built a nest in the royal palace. The king lived in his chambers, and the sparrow and sparrow lived in their nest. Once the king dressed up in a new dress -...
“The Nightingale and the Cotton Bush” is an Indian folk audio tale about animals, arranged by S. F. Oldenburg, and tells about the habits of the nightingale in our tale. A fabulous explanation is given why nightingales never land on cotton bushes. The tale ends with the following words: “...The nightingale got angry and, when the birds flew away, he said to the cotton...
“How the Sun, the Moon and the Wind Went to Dinner” is an Indian folk legendary audio tale from the cycle “Tales of the Peoples of the World”, arranged by S. F. Oldenburg. The etymological Indian folk tale reflects the natural world of India. It is explained in a fabulous way why there is a scorching sun in India (“...from now on your rays will be burning, and...
Indian folk audio tale about animals “This is for that”, arranged by S. F. Oldenburg. “Once upon a time there lived two friends - a camel and a jackal, and then the jackal said to the camel: “On the other side of the river there is a sugar cane field. Let’s cross the river, you eat sweet cane, and I will catch some fish for myself, and we will have a good dinner.” The camel took the jackal on your back...
Indian folk magic audio tale "Good Dhir Singh", translation by A. and L. Barkhudarov, volume 3 "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". The fairy tale teaches kindness, through small actions of the heroes it highlights, separates good and evil. Once upon a time there lived a king. He was famous not for military victories, but for the construction of beautiful houses and temples. Good king!? He built the most beautiful palace. Same...
"The Golden Fish" is an Indian folk audio tale from the cycle "Tales of the Peoples of the World", translated by N. Gurov. A fairy tale about a greedy old woman and a weak-willed old man - a fisherman. Thanks to A.S. Pushkin - a plot known to all Russian fairy tale lovers. The audio fairy tale “Golden Fish” ends with these words: “... An old woman sits and weeps bitterly: I looked at her...
Indian folk magic audio tale "Pepper Seed", translation by N. Gurov, "Tales of the Peoples of Asia" - volume 3 of "Tales of the Peoples of the World". The mother had two hunter sons. One day they did not return home in the evening. The old woman was frightened - how could she live alone now: scared and hungry. A passing sorcerer gave her 6 peppercorns, ordered her to put them in a jug,...
"The Poor Weaver" is an Indian folk audio tale from the cycle "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume 3 - "Tales of the Peoples of Asia", translated by G. Zograf. A magical fairy tale about magical assistant objects, about a gullible weaver and a deceiver and thief, an old woman who at the end of the fairy tale was taught a lesson by the poor weaver. He himself “...since then he was no longer in poverty.” To listen...
“Three Princes” is an Indian folk audio tale from the cycle “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 “Tales of the Peoples of Asia”, translation by V. Balin. “In ancient times, there lived a king. He had three sons, one better than the other: brave, smart, and prudent. When the king grew old, he decided to leave his kingdom and live the rest of his days as a hermit in a holy monastery....
"Who's Afraid of Whom" is an Indian folk audio tale from the cycle "Tales of the Peoples of the World", translated by N. Gurov. A fairy tale about an evil spirit. “Not far from one village there grew a tall tree. On this tree for a long time lived a rakshasa - an evil spirit - a cannibal... One day, two women, two sisters, came there from the village and stood under the very tree for themselves...
Indian folk audio tale "Sant and Basant", translation by A. Barkhudarov, "Tales of the Peoples of Asia" - volume 3 of "Tales of the Peoples of the World". Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen, they had two sons. The eldest was called Sant and the youngest was Basant. It was a happy, loving family. In the queen's bedchamber, a bird built a nest, and two chicks hatched there. Caring birds fed...
"Test of the Mind" is an Indian folk audio tale - a parable from the cycle "Tales of the Peoples of the World", translated by G. Zograf. The young king had an old adviser - experienced and wise. "...The young king highly respected the adviser and did everything as he said. The other courtiers saw how the adviser was held in high esteem, and they were deprived of peace - envy tormented them. Everyone was vying with each other...
Indian folk audio tale "The Foolish Brahman" is about a lazy and cowardly Brahman. Brahman is a person from the upper priestly class in Ancient India. God Brahma is the highest deity of the Hindus. Goddess Bhavani (who was prayed to by the unlucky but lucky brahman) is a Hindu goddess, the guardian mother of the earth. Pandit is a scientist...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "Tenali Ramakrishna's Cat", translation by N. Gurov, "Tales of the Peoples of Asia" - volume 3 of "Tales of the Peoples of the World". About a resourceful poet and the need for wise decisions of rulers. “Many years ago, the smart and cheerful poet Tenali Ramakrishna lived at the court of the great king Krishnadevaraya. They say that he once called for...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "Pull" about a clumsy boy and a savvy rogue servant, translated by G. Zograf. “Once upon a time there was a boy. He was so simple-minded, slow-witted, he couldn’t stand up or turn around. They invited him once to a wedding. So his father sent a servant with him. And the servant was very smart. All the way he instructed the boy to be a guest. ..
Indian folk audio tale "The Son of a Pandit" (a pandit is a learned Brahman), translation by B. Kuznetsov. "At the court of King Pradip, poets and pandits were held in high esteem. Among them there was one pandit named Vidyadhar - the source of knowledge. Vidyadhar's father, grandfather and great-grandfather were court poets. After the death of his father, Vidyadhar took his place. But from his...
Indian folk audio tale "What did the bear whisper in your ear?" has a similar plot to the Russian folk tale "Two Comrades". "Two friends were walking through the forest. Suddenly they saw a bear. One, in fear, climbed a tree and hid in the foliage. The other remained in front of the bear without any protection. He fell to the ground and lay as if dead. He once heard that...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "Deaf of Hearing" is an Indian interpretation about what a funny situation happens when people talking cannot hear each other. “There lived in a village a shepherd with his wife and his parents. And all four of them were hard of hearing. Once a shepherd was plowing a field, and two passers-by walked past. They asked him: “We need to go to Ramnagar. Which one is there...
Indian folk audio tale "The Light from the Temple", translation by G. Zograf. “There lived a rich man in one village, and opposite his house there was a pond. Once a poor man came to the rich man and asked for help. The rich man said: “If you stay in the pond all night, I’ll give you twenty rupees.” “I’ll do it,” said the poor man and made the rich man swear three times, that he will not refuse what he promised..."...
Indian folk magic audio tale "The Man Who Searched for His Destiny", arranged by S. F. Oldenburg. Once upon a time there lived a man. He had a wife and twelve children, but not a single rupee of money. The children were crying from hunger, and the parents did not know what to do. The man got angry with God and went to seek his destiny. In the forest he met a camel with...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "Sweets from Heaven", with a well-known international plot, incl. the plot of the Spanish fairy tale “When donuts fell from the sky”, translation by G. Zograf. One poor woman lived by spinning thread. She had a son. Once she gave him the threads to take to the market to sell. He walks and walks, and lo and behold, a lizard is sitting on the fence. Lizard...
Indian folk audio tale "The Rooster and the Cat". Once upon a time there lived a rooster. And a cat often ran into the house and always stole something from the kitchen. Every time the rooster cried ku-ka-re-ku at the sight of a cat, people came running and chased the cat away. The cat decided that she needed to lure the rooster to become her ally. She promised him that she would take the rooster as a share...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "You wouldn't mind listening to a fairy tale", translated by G. Zograf - about a stingy housewife and a hungry passerby. Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife in the same village. They were very stingy. God forbid a passerby knocks on their door. They won’t feed him, won’t give him something to drink, they’ll barely find a place for him to spend the night, and they’ll even force him to work. I knocked on them...
Indian folk magic audio tale "The Hunter and the Crow". The hunter had a crow. She fed from him, then flew away early in the morning and returned at night. She spent the whole day in the courtyard of the god Brahma. There she learned all the news and plans of Brahma and told the hunter what to do. No matter how hard Brahma tried to destroy the rice harvest and arrange...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "Ugly Name", translation by G. Zograf, "Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia" - volume 3 of "Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the World". There lived a peasant and his wife in the same village. His name was Thunthuniya. Every day, his wife told him: “What an ugly name you have!” Take something else - a beautiful one. One morning Thunthuniya left home to look for...
Indian folk audio fairy tale "The Pea and the Bean" is about two sisters: the older one is angry, lazy and grumpy, and the younger one is kind and hardworking. Once upon a time there lived two sisters. The eldest, Bobok, was grumpy and angry, and the youngest, Pea, was kind and affectionate. One day, Goroshina invited her sister to visit her father together. She replied that she didn’t want to for the sake of...
The ancestors of the Indian population came to this land from different parts of the world. Therefore, today Indian fairy tales are told by hundreds of nationalities inhabiting the country.
Despite all the diversity of cultures, religions and even languages, the best Indian fairy tales for children have some peculiarities. The main focus of most stories are:
desire to gain knowledge;
religiosity;
preference for a righteous lifestyle;
placing family values at the forefront;
inclusion of poetic forms.
Religious quotes and teachings are directly put into the mouths of some characters.
Old Indian legends date back to before our era. Then they were created as teachings for the sons of the ruler of the country. But they already had a fairy-tale form, they were written on behalf of animals. The oldest collection of fairy tales itself is “Kathasaritsagaru”, based on the most ancient beliefs in traditional Indian gods.
Gradually all the folklore stories took shape. Magical, everyday, love, and heroic tales arose. In the country's folk art, many stories were written about ordinary people who defeated all the adversities of fate. Fairy tales about animals possessing all human qualities were spread. They interacted with each other, denounced vices, and praised virtuous behavior. Often the narrative included short advice given by the wisest hero. This is how fairy tales remain today.
The fairy-tale fantasies of India attract with their amazingly colorful oriental flavor, storytelling style and, of course, the abundance of magical plots. At the same time, the child unobtrusively receives wise advice and forms a correct vision of the surrounding world of people and animals.