PHOTOGRAPH: JYOTHY KARAT
So we use symbolism in stories, and explain
what it means. Like, when a person has
10 heads, it means that that person can
think in 10 different ways. A person
who has four heads can see in all directions.
It means he is very knowledgeable and
communicative, someone who can
understand all that is going on.
And someone can look like a serpent, but
he is just someone from the Naga tribe.
I try to make it as practical as possible so
that they can relate. Ultimately, our children“When you tell a story,
the imagination stretches.
The sky is the limit. Children
can relate to the story.
Being able to listen to stories
is better than reading”
an effort to connect to today’s readers.”
The result is a wonderful compilation
of riveting stories that will offer new
insights into characters we think we know.EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW
“Storytelling is a great creativity tool
for children.
“Through stories, you can improve children’s
imaginations. For example, when you show
the Ramayana on the TV, they get an idea
of how Rama looks. Their imagination
will not grow. But, when you tell a story, the
imagination stretches. The sky is the limit.
Children can relate to the story. Being able
to listen to stories is better than reading.
When you tell a story, children get involved
in a way that is not achieved even by reading
many books.”“Our children are very smart...
“If you tell them, ‘he did this, or did that,’
they will not believe you today. They will
Google it, they are knowledge seekers.
What adults say is not final for them.seemed to know exactly how much food had to be
made every day, but that also meant that he knew
beforehand how many soldiers would not live to see
another night.
Curious, the Pandavas asked the king one day,
“Please tell us how you know the exact number of
soldiers that will make it back alive each day?”
He smiled. “I have a simple technique. I take a bag
of peanuts to Krishna at the end of every day and
observe him closely. Then I multiply the number of
peanuts he eats by one thousand and deduce the
number of soldiers that are going to die the next day.”
The Pandavas were stunned.
After the war ended, Krishna blessed the king,
saying, “You have taken care of all the soldiers who’ve
fought in this battle, without any bias. Your future
generations will be famous for making delicious food
and serving it efficiently.
People say that this is the reason
we see so many Udupi restaurants
across India!EXCERPT
The King of Udupi
When the war of Kurukshetra took place, even
the rulers of other lands ended up choosing sides
and were compelled to fight each other.
For instance, King Shalya, the maternal uncle of
Nakula and Sahadeva, was tricked into siding with
the Kauravas. King Vinda and King Anuvinda,
Krishna’s brothers-in-law, also fought for the Kauravas.
One of the Kauravas, Yuyutsu, was the only one to
switch sides and join the Pandavas. Krishna’s brother
Balarama, upset with the whole affair, went on
a pilgrimage instead.
The king of Udupi, unable to choose a side, refused
to take a decision. He said, “I will be in charge of
the kitchen and feed soldiers from both camps.”
The war began.
Each day took the lives of many soldiers. At the end
of the day, the remaining fighters from both the camps
came to the kitchen and ate together.
There was one strange thing that didn’t escape
notice – no food was ever left over after everyone had
finished their meal in the evening. The king of Udupishould be able to relate the story to
today’s scenarios. That is very important.
Otherwise the story is a fail.”“I get up early to write.
“It doesn’t take me very long to write.
Because I’ve written so many books,
I know what I want to write, I don’t have
to write and rewrite. But I think and
research for many years before I write.”“The Serpent’s Revenge is the first
book of a series.
“There are four books in the series.
I would like to release one book each year
on Children’s Day (November 14).”“I like the story of Barbarika a lot.
“Barbarika was the son of Ghatotkacha
and Maurvi. I like the story because it’s
really unusual. Barbarika is worshipped
in Haryana and Rajasthan as Khatushyam.”I also like The King of Udupi.
“It is a simple story, but a nice story
(laughs heartily).”February 2017 61