However, though Brahma has created the universe and Shiva can destroy it, it is up to the great god Vishnu to keep all creatures within it well and happy. Always compassionate, he is also the wisest of the trinity. It is he who good-naturedly sorts out the mess the others create. And above all, Vishnu always favours the good and the pure.

    As he rises into the sky he spreads light and warmth all over the world. The great Ganga king, Narasimha Rao, commissioned 1200 artisans to recreate this scene in stone. The Konark Sun Temple is a place where the lines between fact, fiction and folklore have blurred over time. Amar Chitra Katha interweaves the history of the 13th century monument with some of the mythology associated with it.

    The Kaurava brothers tricked their Pandava cousins out of a kingdom, and even Lord Krishna could not stop the horror and bloodshed that followed. Veda Vyasa composed an epic poem, the longest in the world, to describe the events that unfolded. In this epic tale of superhuman heroes and gory action, Veda Vyasa explores human ambitions, relationships and conflicts to find the true purpose of life

    He dispensed justice, dealt diplomatically with other rulers, led military expeditions and composed poetry. In addition, he also rescued Akbar from the dangers of arrogance and unfettered power. Most importantly, he made the Great Mughal laugh. Birbal, a real person with the name 'Maheshdas', was one of the 'nine gems' of court advisers of Akbar the Great. He also composed poetry by the pen name 'Brahma'. He led an expedition into faraway Afghanistan and managed to subdue the turbulence there. Hearing the news of his death there, Akbar burst forth: "Birbal, you always gave the helpless whatever you had. I am helpless now and yet you have left nothng for me!" Birbal's name however does not rest on these achievements. He is turned into a legend by the innumerable stories of his wit and wisdom, sense of justice and fairplay, and above all, his uncanny skill in turning the tables on his detractors including the king himself. In the stories here, Birbal proposes the punishment of a kiss for the offense of pulling a hair from the king's moustache; shows how one's own child is the most beautiful; proves that the whims of a child can beat the king; makes the king realize that inauspiciousness can be mutual; guesses the mother-tongue of a linguist with a spray of water.

    The song of birds, the thunder of rain clouds, and the glow of the morning sun revealed life's secrets to Satyakama. Coming face to face with the lord of death, Nachiketa found the key to immortality. The lessons the two seekers learned were priceless, for they opened to others the door to eternal bliss.

    Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, emerges from Brahma's mind and enlightens the mighty creator.When the all-consuming fire, Vadavagni, is raging through the world the gods go to Saraswati for help. Saraswati agrees to carry the fire and save everyone from perishing. Shiva aids her in this quest, and she begins her epic course as a river.Later, Saraswati finds herself the victim of a terrible curse when she gets drawn into the rivalry between the sages Vishwamitra and Vasishtha.Amar Chitra Katha follows the story of Saraswati, from her birth to her journey into the ocean.

    The mighty Cholas made it their capital in the 9th century CE, following which they increased, through conquests, the size and strength of their empire. Finally, after realizing all his military ambitions, the Chola monarch Raja Raja Chola I decided to build a great temple in Thanjavur dedicated to Lord Shiva. Thus Thanjavur became home to the majestic Brihadeeswara temple and many other shrines. Amar Chitra Katha tells the stories surrounding this ancient town and its monuments.

    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.

    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.

    How important is a guest who visits one's home? What could be more important than achieving knowledge through meditation? These tales taken from the Mahabharata tell of age old values that emphasize the divine status of a guest and the importance of dharma or duty above all else and teaching these lessons are simple creatures like a mongoose, a crane and a pigeon.

    His quest was for the image of the blue-colored Krishna or Nilamadhav. The king came very close to achieving his goal but his pride and arrogance snatched it away from him leaving him groping once more in the dark. Contained in this Amar Chitra Katha is the legend behind the temple of Jagannathapuri in Orissa and the images enshrined in it.

    Perhaps, what brought the two still closer were the stories the Guru narrated. These stories provided a meaningful context for the topics under discussion. They also demonstrate that in those days knowledge was not the monopoly of any select group. Thus Janashruti, the ruler of the land, approaches the cart driver Raikva, with humility, to seek the highest truth.

    Told from the perspective of the queen, Sita, it explores ideas of right vs. wrong, compassion, loyalty, trust, honor and the terrible price that war exacts from women, children, animals and the natural world.After Sita, Rama and his brother are banished from their kingdom, Sita is captured by the arrogant King Ravana and imprisoned in a garden across the ocean. Ravana tries to convince Sita to be his wife, but she steadfastly refuses his advances. Eventually, Rama comes to her rescue with the help of the monkey Hanuman and his army, magic animals and gods. But Rama is unable to trust Sita and forces her to undergo an ordeal by fire to prove herself to be true and pure . . .The Ramayana was first written in Sanskrit by the poet Valmiki around 300 B.C. It contains important Hindu teachings and has had great influence on Indian life and culture over the centuries.

    Crumb, the legendary illustrator, reveals here the story of Genesis in a profoundly honest and deeply moving way. Originally thinking that he would do a take off of Adam and Eve, Crumb became so fascinated by the Bible’s language, “a text so great and so strange that it lends itself readily to graphic depictions,” that he decided instead to do a literal interpretation using the text word for word in a version primarily assembled from the translations of Robert Alter and the King James bible.As Crumb writes in his introduction, “the stories of these people, the Hebrews, were something more than just stories. They were the foundation, the source, in writing of religious and political power, handed down by God himself.” Crumb’s Book of Genesis, the culmination of 5 years of painstaking work, is a tapestry of detail and storytelling.