India News | Two New Children's Anthologies Narrate Tales About Indian Royals, Mythology

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) Two new children's books of 15-odd stories gives readers a peek into the kingdoms, courts, palaces and battlefields of royals, who shaped the values of India and made their place forever in the country's epics, legends and history.

"The Queen Who Ruled the Waves" and "The King Who Turned into a Serpent", written by authors Indira Ananthakrishnan and Sudha Madhavan, respectively, aim to take "history close to the heart of the readers". Both are published by Hachette India.

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Both the books bring to light the little-known facets of the extraordinary rulers and mythological characters, including Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Krishnadevaraya, Rani Abbakka, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Yudhishthira, Nahusha and Bhoja, among others.

"A historian would showcase facts and figures accurately. But for the reader to enjoy history and feel proud of the country, this book presents episodes from the lives of some bravehearts who lived their lives to preserve the pristine glory of the country -- be it in the field of art and architecture or protecting it from invasions -- spanning ancient and medieval times up to India under the British," Ananthakrishnan told PTI.

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"Care has been taken not to distort facts but just to embellish them with some creativity. History textbooks cannot be expected to waste words on such embellishments," she added.

Be it about a princess who inspired a cowherd to become a great poet, a queen skilled beyond compare in warfare or a king who composed more than 400 songs, the books are filled with several thrilling stories that promise to leave children wonderstruck with their colour and imagery.

"This collection of stories is a heartfelt effort to bring the thrilling mythological stories I'd heard as a child to today's children in the most authentic manner," said Madhavan about "The King Who Turned into a Serpent".

The books are currently available for sale across offline and online stores.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)