One day, he sets off for Patliputra, with his friend Shashi, eager to debate with the scholars there. On the outskirts of the city, they meet a girl picking mangoes. She and Muladeva start arguing but the girl outwits him with ease and then, disappears. Enchanted by her quick replies and her intelligence Muladeva decides that he will not rest until he has found her, outsmarted her, and married her. In this story from the Kathasaritsagar, Muladeva's quest results in an elaborate and prolonged battle of wits.

    The best way to ward off Bikal the Terrible is to avoid taking his name. The word Bikal inspires such fear and awe that even a tiger gets scared of Bikal and tamely allows himself to be fooled by two daredevils. This is a delightful folktale from Madhya Pradesh.

    Chandragupta Vikramaditya has a special place in history because he proved that the love of power is not all that is needed to create an empire. Also needed are the love of a wise w

    During a ride in a forest he meets and falls in love with Princess Padmavati of Kanchi. According to tradition, Purushottam Dev sweeps the chariot of Jagannath during the Car Festival. Padmavati's father is furious when he hears of this and refuses to marry his daughter to one who wields a broom. He humiliates Purushottam Dev who vows to take revenge despite his love for the princess. Padmavati despairs and is ready to end her life. But things suddenly take a turn for the better after Lord Jagannath himself assures Purushottam of his support.This Amar Chitra Katha is based on a legend from Orissa.

    This Amar Chitra Katha tells some of the tales that depict Indra's bravery, his generosity and also, his occasional arrogance.

    Sambhaji had a tough childhood. His father was too busy to look after him and his mother died when he was only two. The young Sambhaji's main support came from his grandmother. When she died, he was bereft of love and care. To make matters worse, his step-mother was campaigning to make her own son the next ruler, trying to poison Shivaji's mind against Sambhaji. This Amar Chitra Katha traces the events that led up to the coronation of this wise and just Maratha ruler.

    Quiet, firm and dependable he won the heart of every person he met. However, it was his hot-headed brother who was heir to the throne. But no one could stand in the way of what destiny had in store for the young prince. By the strangest twists of fate, Arul ascended the throne as Raja Raja Chola and proved to be one of the greatest rulers in the history of medieval India. During his 30-year-reign the Chola empire not only became a formidable maritime power but was also a hub of art and architecture.

    The police are on holiday. Everyone knows that with Rahul and Ravi around, crime is on a downtime. Or so they’d like to believe. From missing vegetables to escaped convicts the detectives will chase down any crime... that’s if they don’t trip and fall over their own laces to begin with!Defective Detectives? Who are they?Rahul and Ravi are Tinkle’s infamous Defective Detectives, who have vowed to solve every mystery on this planet. And if and when there is no mystery, rest assured they will invent one! You see, with their overactive imagination which sees a mystery behind every bush and their unwavering determination to see everyone as a criminal, the duo are always hot on the heels of trouble or more often than not, trouble is hot on their heels! Either way, it is no mystery that absolute pandemonium is bound to follow when these two are aboard. So stick around close. It would be a crime to miss out on all the madness and mayhem that breaks loose in the world of the Defective Detectives!The series was created by Tinkle reader Anisha Hariharan and illustrated by Abhijeet Kini.Meet the Cool CastSamhita aka Sam: Ravi’s sister, smart-aleck and a general pain in their necks, Sam is actually clever and manages to solve cases. However she’s left dismayed when the boys’ misadventures often swing the credit to them! Is there more?Rahul and Ravi are hot on the tail of someone who they think is a criminal mastermind. After all, who else plans the robbing of a bank, the kidnapping of a prince and the theft of a jewel all at one go? Later, when it seems like there’s no crime to solve, the Dynamic Duo chance upon a dog that seems suspiciously robotic... which means it will terrorise people and take control of the city! And a new face appears in the neighbourhood... the face of a pirate! What will the Defective Detectives do? What new outlandish theory will they come up with and what mayhem will they cause? Laugh along at their misadventures!About TinkleContinuously published since 1980, Tinkle is one of the oldest and most cherished children’s comics magazines in India. It boasts of a large fan following and beloved characters that include such household names as Suppandi, Shikari Shambu and Tantri the Mantri.

    But sometime, the sun's glare got uncomfortably fierce, and Sanjna could not bear it. She devised the perfect cover for herself - Chhaya, her mirror image! Away from the blazing Surya, the lonely Sanjna pined for her beloved. Eventually, a way had to be found to ensure everyone's happiness.

    It was said to be the beginning of kali Yuga. This Amar Chitra Katha tells the story of the curse which dooms Pareekshit to die at the hands of the Serpent King, Takshaka, and how his son, Janamejaya, avenges his death.

    Little did his family realize that Soordas could often see more than anyone else. He could direct a shepherd to his lost goat and a father to his missing son. He could describe exactly how the idol of his beloved Lord Krishna was dressed in the temple each day. The Mughal emperor Akbar personally came to invite him to his court. The poet Tulsidas visited him. The powerful, the wise and the ordinary flocked to him for his all-seeing wisdom and his soul-stirring songs of devotion.

    Her patience snaps, eventually. Pure in her love, this gentle woman is transformed into an avenging angel, raining death and doom on all her foes, until the gods are forced to intervene. Ilango Adigal's Tamil classic, Shilappadikaram presents life with all its flaws but also with hope.

    Without Vishnu, he was afraid, chaos would ensue. So he and his son Narada, the wandering sage, set in motion a plan to get Vishnu to return to earth.A talking anthill, an arrogant sage, an irate cowherd, and even the asura king Ravana, each have their parts to play in these stories that describe the founding of the Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. Set amongst the lovely Tirumala hills, this temple to Lord Vishnu, is one of the most beautiful temples in the world. It is said that more than 50,000 people visit this shrine every day, to pray to Venkateshwara to wash away their sins.

    The Pandava brother, Bheema, was lucky to have him as a son, for he saved his life more than once. And if it were not for this brave young rakshasa, the Kauravas may well have been the victors of the famous battle of Mahabharata.

    While his courtiers were jealous of Birbal, the emperor was quick to notice his agile mind. While the two men loathed hypocrisy and deceit; they also relished a good joke.