In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we hear about Dushala - the Kaurava Princess. Though many know her as the only sister to 100 Kaurava brothers, the epic does not really offer up a lot of other details about her. All the more reason why Dushala deserves her own episode. This story is from the Women of the Mahabharata series.

Apart from Dushala, this story also features Arjuna - one of the most well-known Pandavas in the epic. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Show Notes

The sculpture that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

Dushala was the daughter of another iconic Mahabharata character - Gandhaari.

Listen to her story here.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

If there is a character from the Mahabharata that you want me to choose next, or if you would like to dedicate an episode to a loved one, get in touch at shweta@shwetaganeshkumar.com or leave me a comment.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, I have a Ramayana story for you. This one is from the monkey god Hanuman’s childhood. We hear about the day he wanted to eat the sun!

Apart from Hanuman this story features Vayu - the wind god, Indra the king of gods and other characters from Indian mythology.

This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

This story was chosen on request from a birthday boy! If you would like to dedicate an episode to a loved one, get in touch at shweta@shwetaganeshkumar.com

Show Notes

The sculpture that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

Listen to another Ramayana Story from Storytelling with Shweta here.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

If there is a character from the Ramayana that you want me to choose next, please email me at ⁠shweta@shwetaganeshkumar.com⁠ or leave a comment under this post. I’ll be sure to mention you by name if I choose your character for a story.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, I have a Mahabharata story for you. One with five brothers, a bunch of riddles, a Yaksha and a guest appearance by Yama - The God of death. This story is all about quests, logic and magical enchantments!

The art that inspired this story from Indian mythology is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Show notes

The sculpture that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

You can read more about Yakshas here.

You can read more about Yama as the God of Righteousness here.

Listen to The Yakshi and the Tree Deity here.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

If there is a character from the Mahabharata that you want me to choose next, please email me at ⁠shweta@shwetaganeshkumar.com⁠ or leave a comment under this post. I’ll be sure to mention you by name if I choose your character for a story.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we will hear Subhadra’s story as part of the Women of the Mahabharata series. Subhadra is the sister of God Krishna and is famous for her love story with Arjuna of the Pandavas. Even though there are not a lot of details about her she is an iconic figure in Indian mythology.

The art that inspired this story from Indian mythology is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Shownotes

The print that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

You can read more about the Tikla Rock Paintings here.

Here is a fascinating article about the many tribes of Odisha that are possibly as old as or even older than the Mahabharata.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

If there is a character from the Mahabharata that you want me to choose next, please email me at shweta@shwetaganeshkumar.com or leave a comment under this post. I’ll be sure to mention you by name if I choose your character for a story.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we will hear a story from the ancient Ramayana. Today’s story is about waking Kumbhakarna the Asura up from his enchanted sleep. Kumbhakarna is an iconic character in Indian mythology. He is the brother of Ravana and enemy of the gods. This story was performed live at the Peerbagh Varta Festival at the Ann Arbor District Library. This was a South Asian literary event that focused on oral storytelling traditions. The story was originally written for a live audience with lots of interaction with the listeners, but it’s been adapted for the podcast.

The art that inspired this story from Indian mythology is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Show Notes

The folio from the Ramayana that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

Watch this story performed as an interactive storytelling session here.

If you are a South Asian family in the United States listening to this story, I highly recommend looking up Peerbagh, a nonprofit that organizes South Asia inspired Literary events for all ages.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we return to the Women of the Mahabharata series. Today’s story is about Chitrangadha, the warrior princess of Manipura. She has barely a few lines dedicated to her in the ancient Indian epic but I wanted to explore her story from before her appearance in the Mahabharata. What I have for you on the podcast is a version of Chitrangadha’s life as imagined before and leading up to her meeting with Arjuna.

The piece that inspired this story from Indian mythology is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Shownotes

The Indian sword that served as inspiration for this episode is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

Many scholars have argued that the ancient kingdom of Manipura was probably based on a location within Odisha. The river Chitrotpala flows through Odisha and I used it to geographically locate my story, because the name is a natural match for the names of Chitrangadha and Chitravahana, You can read more about it here.

“Chitrangadha” also inspired the poet, playwright and icon Rabindranath Tagore to write a play named “Chitra”.

Here is a fascinating article about the many tribes of Odisha that are possibly as old as or even older than the Mahabharata.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we return to the Women of the Mahabharata series. Today’s story is about Ulupi the half human-half serpent Naga princess. She has barely a few lines dedicated to her in the ancient Indian epic but I wanted to explore her story from before her appearance in the Mahabharat. What I have for you on the podcast is a version of Ulupi’s life as imagined before and leading up to her meeting with Arjuna.

The piece that inspired this story from Indian mythology is currently on display in the South Asian Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

I also briefly talk about Indian culture’s fascination with serpents and their representation in folkore. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from the Mahabharata, Indian mythology and Folk tales.

Shownotes

The sculpture of Nagini- The Serpent Queen that served as inspiration for this episode is currently displayed in the South-Asian galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can see it and read about it here.

Many Scholars believe that the term Nagas could have referred to indigenous tribes whose emblem was the serpent. Read more here.

The reference to Garuda and the Nagas being eternal enemies is echoed is stories of the enmity between birds and snakes in multiple cultures. Here is an interesting article from the American Museum of Natural History that references stories around the world.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a rating or review if you enjoyed the story!

In this episode of Storytelling with Shweta, we hear the story of the Indian Goddess Jagaddhatri. In October, India celebrates the festival of Navaratri or nine nights of the Mother Goddess and Goddess Jagaddhatri's story is closely related to this festival.

The piece that inspired this story from Indian mythology is currently owned by the Metropolitan Museum of New York, though it is currently not on display.

Legend says that Goddess Jagaddhatri taught the Gods a lesson about keeping their egos in check. Listen to the episode for more. This family-friendly story is best for all who enjoy stories from Indian mythology, Folk tales Folk lore.

Shownotes

The lithograph that served as inspiration for this episode is currently owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is not on display but you can see it and read about it here.

Goddess Jagadhatri is said to be a manifestation of Goddess Katyayini and you can hear that story here.

While researching for this story, I learnt that Goddess Jagadhatri is mostly worshipped in specific parts of West Bengal and Odisha. I wanted to set the story on the banks of a river and that is how I found River Subarnarekha - literally translated as Streak of Gold. This is the only river that flows through both states and is said to literally carry gold. More about the river here.

For other interesting bonus info that did not make it into the podcast, please follow me on instagram at Storytelling with Shweta.

Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave me a review if you enjoyed the story!