Jhuli
Grandmother stories, retold
Folk tales from across India, free to read aloud.
A jhuli is a simple cloth satchel, the kind slung over a shoulder for a journey. Bengal named its best-loved book of tales Thakurmar Jhuli, the Grandmother's Satchel. Ours is packed the same way: Panchatantra and Jataka fables, festival tales, and grandmother stories from every corner of India, retold in fresh words for children aged 3 to 12.
Gentle retellings, made to be read aloud at bedtime.
Bridging the miles between a child's world and their roots.
Browse by region
- East Bengal and Assam, home of the classic grandmother tales. 9 stories
- North Punjab, Kashmir and the mountains, full of wit and wonder. 9 stories
- West The Deccan and the busy trading towns of the western coast. 10 stories
- South Quick-witted jesters and a brave cow who kept her word. 7 stories
- Pan-India Panchatantra and Jataka, fables loved all across the land. 21 stories
- Scripture Gentle deep-cuts from the epics and the Upanishads. 18 stories
Start here
A few favourites to open the satchel with, one from every corner.
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Pan-IndiaHow Holi Got Its Colours
Festival tale (Holi) · Ages 4-8 · 3 min
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Pan-IndiaThe Monkey and the Crocodile
Panchatantra · Ages 5-9 · 4 min
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EastSukhu and Dukhu
Thakurmar Jhuli (Bengal) · Ages 5-9 · 5 min
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ScriptureHanuman and the Sun
Ramayana · Ages 4-8 · 3 min
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NorthKing Vikram and the Vetala
Baital Pachisi (Vikram and the Vetala) · Ages 8-12 · 5 min
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SouthAvvaiyar and the Wise Little Boy
Folk tale (Tamil Nadu) · Ages 6-10 · 3 min
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WestHow the Sun, the Moon, and the Wind Went Out to Dinner
Old Deccan Days (Maharashtra / Deccan) · Ages 5-9 · 4 min
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Pan-IndiaThe Lamps of Ayodhya
Festival tale (Diwali), from the Ramayana · Ages 5-9 · 3 min
The paperbacks are coming
We're gathering fifty of these tales into a beautiful illustrated book, the kind a grandparent far away would be proud to send. Be the first to know when it's ready.
Thank you! We'll write the moment the book is ready. Until then, every story is free to read.
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