Krishna is the most popular divine hero of India in human form. Krishna's story is full of exciting events all through his life. Wicked men, women and creatures are often up against him but he defeats them all, as a cowherd boy or as grown up hero loved by his peers and others. Krishna's parents, Vasudeva and Devaki, were kept in prison right after their marriage, by Devaki's cousin brother Kamsa. Their seven children born in prison were slain by Kamsa to falsify the prophecy of his death by one of them. Krishna was the eighth. Vasudeva carried newborn Krishna secretly to the cowherd community Gokula. Krishna grew up there as son of Nanda and Yashoda and brother of Balarama. Kamsa sent Putana, the poison-milk demoness to do away with Krishna. She herself met her end. Krishna the cowherd boy played pranks with the neighbours, played the flute, tamed bulls, killed a poisonous snake in the pool where cattle drank water, led the cowherds to worship the mountain that supported their cattle. Kamsa pursues Krishna all this while. Finally, he gets Krishna and Balarama to his capital Mathura for wrestling matches. Krishna succeeds in winning them. He puts Kamsa to death and brings Kamsa's father back to the throne.

Shakuntala was the daughter of a nymph and a sage who abandoned her in the woods. Sage Kanva brought her up. King Dushyanta on a visit to the hermitage was struck with Shakuntala's beauty and they got married in a non-traditional ceremony. The king eventually returned back, leaving with Shakuntala a ring that carried his seal. After a when she came to live with the king, he did not remember anything about her and asked for proof of their being together. Shakuntala had lost the ring and could not produce any proof. So rejected by the king, she was carried away by her mother. The ring was one day found by a fisherman and produced before the king, this brought back his memory of Shakuntala and he longed to meet her. One day, on the way back from a great battle victory Dushyanta visited the sage Maricha's hermitage where Shakuntala and her son Bharata were living. Many were the signs by which the king recognized Bharata as his son. He asked Shakuntala for forgiveness and took both of them with him. Later, Bharata became an illustrious king and it is said that India's name "Bhaarata" is formed to mean 'the land of Bharat'. This story from Mahabharata provided the plot for a renowned play by the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa of the 5th century. The play was translated into English by William Jones at the end of the 18th century. It won praise from the German poet Goethe then and has been widely translated and read worldwide.

Wise Yudhishthira, strong Bheema, skilful Arjuna, brave Nakula and Sahadeva – five exceptionally talented brothers whose youthful exuberance made their Kaurava cousins very jealous. Things only got worse when Duryodhana found that everyone wanted Yudhishthira as king. It was their courage and skill that helped the Pandava princes survive several murderous plots. And as a bonus, they won themselves wonderful wives!

Rama was happy living in the forest with his wife and brother. Palace intrigue may have forced his exile, but the next fourteen years promised to be quite pleasant. Suddenly, this idyllic life was thrown into turmoil. His beloved wife Sita was kidnapped! With unmatched skill as a warrior, Rama destroyed the ten-headed Ravana. And along the way, he won a host of very grateful friends.

Was Chanakya a demon or a man? His opponents had no answer. They would plot and plan, coax and connive, but the scholar-turned-politician was always a step ahead, confounding both their motives and their ambitions. He led his king, Chandragupta, to greatness and set his kingdom on the road to peace and prosperity. Then, for generations of future rulers, he compiled a useful guide, the famously canny Arthashastra.

A born leader, a fearless warrior and a shrewd military strategist, Shivaji resorted to guerilla warfare techniques to outmaneuver his formidable adversaries, the Mughal masters of the North and the Bahmani sultans of the South. His exploits hastened the decline of Mughal power and gave rise to a new power in India, the Marathas. His love for freedom has made him a national icon of India.

Disdaining even the comfort of a bed, the valiant Rana Pratap waged a single-minded, life-long war against the mighty Mughal conquerors. His Rajput pride instilled a deep respect in the enemy. They realised that huge armies and sophisticated weapons are but aids, and that there can be no substitute for raw courage on the battlefield.

Jaichand was furious! His daughter Samyogita had aloped with Prithviraj Chauhan, the warrior king of Delhi. She, like many others, was smitten by tales of his daring, his nobility and his sense of honour. Though the young couple's happiness was doomed, even in his dying hour, it was the brave Prithviraj who chose how his life should end.

Karna is the tragic hero of the Mahabharata. Born as a gift of the sun-god to maiden Kunti, he was abandoned by her. Found and brought up by a charioteer couple, he was denied the class that his mother's other sons, the Pandavas, belonged to. He achieved proficiency in archery, only to be cursed that on account of his 'lower' class, he would forget his skills at the most crucial point in the battle. Karna was rejected as contesting suitor for Draupadi, for the same lack of birth in a high family. The eldest of the Kauravas anointed him king for which Karna was loyal to him to the last. In the great war, he did not change sides at the request of Kunti even after she revealed the secret of his birth. As prophesied, in his battle against Arjuna, Karna's chariot broke down. Karna alighted to fix his chariot but was struck by Arjuna's arrows, who breaking all the rules of war, targeted an unarmed Karna. Kunti, the mother abandoning Karna in life, acknowledged him in death, by insisting the Pandavas pay ritual homage to him.

While the war was raging between the devas and asuras, the devas sent Kacha to the preceptor of the asuras. Kacha approached the asura guru as a student. It was in this background of hate, war and rivalry that the beautiful Devayani, the proud daughter, of the asura guru, fell in love with Kacha, the man who was being watched by the asuras with increasing suspicion - they knew Kacha was seeking the key to immortality from their guru. Then a twist in the tale throws the dreams of the young couple into dissarray.

Son of the beautiful goddess Ganga, the giver of life, the lad was born to greatness. Not only was he handsome and wise, he was also equally adept on the battlefield or in a regal court. As this tale reveals, Bheeshma is best remembered for his exceptional honesty and kindness. Who else would have uncomplainingly suffered the trials of kingship without its comforts? Who else would have chosen long years of loneliness just to pander to a father's whim?

The Kauravas had made a fateful error. Lusting after their cousin's kingdom, they underestimated young Abhimanyu's determination and ability to defend it. Brilliantly distilled in this handsome and much-loved Pandava prince were his father Arjuna's courage, Lord Krishna's wisdom and the patience, strength and gentle humility of his uncles. Even as he thwarted his enemies ambitions, Abhimanyu earned their grudging admiration and a very special place in the saga of the Mahabharata.

She was only a child of five and he a mere image of the Lord Krishna, but little Mira loved him with all her heart. So strong was her devotion that it rendered even irate kings and murderous relatives powerless. Mirabai became a queen, but she continued to serenade her lord through the ups and downs of her eventful life. Her hymns to Krishna, which are sung to this day, left even the great Mughal emperor Akbar spellbound.

Prahlad drove his monstrous father to a murderous rage. He insisted on praising Lord Vishnu who was considered a sworn enemy by his father Hiranyakashipu. When he tried to punish his disobedient son, Hiranyakashipu's potent poisons turned to nectar while his lethal weapons fell harmlessly away. In this tale of bloodthirsty revenge, Prahlad's only defence is his devotion which dramatically puts an end to all evil.

The story of the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and one of the immortals of Indian Mythology.

Even as a child he was known for his honesty and upright behaviour. Ram Shastri started his life as a servant in a rich household. However, his determination to learn the scriptures caught the attention of the resident priest. It was a long and arduous journey but hard work and determination took him to the position of Chief Justice under the Peshwas of Maharashtra. Respected by his peers, Ram Shastri's sense of justice and fair play, at a time when corruption and nepotism held sway, earned him the love and loyalty of the people.

She ruled over a small kingdom, but dreamt of freedom for the whole country. In the great revolt of 1857, Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, matched wits and force with the best of British generals. The image of the brave Rani of Jhansi charging her steed through enemy lines, her sword raised for the next thrust, is forever imprinted in Indian hearts.

Uloopi (Amar Chitra Katha)

Baji Rao, the warrior Peshwa (Maratha Prime Minister), fought 36 battles leading his men to victory time after time. He made the Marathas a formidable power in the country, even as the once powerful Mughals started showing signs of decline.

The story of Chand Bibi is imprinted on the Indian mind as an example of all that is noble and brave in the human spirit. Around the year 1595, the Deccan was divided into many kingdoms. One of these, the historic kingdom of Ahmednagar, was rife with petty quarrels, jealousies and power struggles. Burhan-ul-Mulk, its ruler, having gained the throne with the aid of Akbar, spurned that great Mughal king and asserted his independence. Burhan was too engrossed in his personal pleasures to make a good ruler. When he died, he left behind a weak and divided kingdom. Into this turbulent scene entered a woman who was to make a sharp impact on history. The woman was Chand Bibi, Burhan-ul-Mulk's sister. She had been married to Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur. After her husband's death, being childless, she returned to Ahmednagar to train her nephew Prince Bahadur, in the ways of kingship. With the untimely death of her brother, she chose to take the reins of government into her own hands on behalf of Prince Bahadur and showed herself more than equal to the task.

Epics and Mythology.

Only Birbal could outwit Akbar and get away with it. A witty and wise diplomat, he ensured that both the emperor and the empire retained their greatness. This collection of tales highlighting Birbal's presence of mind, his kindness and his shrewdness guarantees a good laugh. At the same time, it divulges some useful tricks for overcoming sticky situations.

Teacher, writer, poet and a rebel, Subramanian Bharati used the power of his pen to make the mighty British Raj tremble. His songs were sung by all sections of people in Tamil Nadu, during mass gatherings and Satyagrahas. Revered as the father of modern Tamil renaissance, his heart beat for one India. He was aptly called Bharati, a title bestowed on him for his patriotic songs.

The Unhappy Tiger