Once upon a time, there was an astrologer who charged a nominal fee from the people who approached him to learn about their future. He would rattle half a dozen cowrie shells in his cupped palms and throw them on a square piece of clothing with mystic charts imprinted on it. He would then study Read more…

Long, long ago, there lived a king. A Rakshasi, or man-eating ogress, living in a nearby forest spotted the king while he was hunting. She fell in love with the king and wanted to marry him. She morphed into a beautiful woman and accompanied the king to his palace, where the pregnant queen lived. Every Read more…

A long time ago, a rich merchant lived with his five sons in Banda. Despite having tremendous wealth, the merchant was a miser of the highest order, so much so that he even ate little and expected the same of his family. He didn’t wear good clothes or allowed his family members to do so. Read more…

Usually, lamas lived in monasteries following a strict spiritual routine. However, some of them who didn’t like the monotonous life in monasteries became lama-hermits. They dwelt in caves doing rigorous meditation and prayers. Here is a story that underlines the divine nature of Sikkim’s lama-hermits. Long ago, a lama-hermit lived in his sanctuary on a Read more…

Once upon a time, there lived a widow who was very old to work in the fields. She hardly had anything to eat and even lived in a poorly built shack. She led a pitiable life without anyone to support her. On a very rainy night, a king happened to travel through her village. Not Read more…

Long, long ago, there was a road that led every traveler to death. Some believed it was snake or scorpion bites that caused their deaths. However, whoever traveled on that road met the same fate. One day, while traveling on that road, an old man sat down to get some rest. Suddenly, he realized that Read more…

Long, long ago, there were two brothers, Bhinwa and Hinwa. Bhinwa, the eldest, was cunning and always made his brother, Hinwa, do most of the household chores. Hinwa grazed the cattle, tilled the land, and did all the shopping. However, Hinwa got only four dry chapatis to eat after the day’s toil. One day, after Read more…

Long, long ago, there lived a poor Brahman who went around begging for money from rich people to get married. He got married after collecting and saving up enough money to hold a wedding. After marriage, he took his wife home. A few months later, he told his mother that he had decided to travel Read more…

Mena was a beautiful woman from Gadh Mandav. She married Chandio, the chief of the shepherd warrior tribe. After marriage, she went to live in Gadh Gokul, her husband’s hometown. Hirio, her husband’s younger brother, escorted her to Gadh Gokul. One morning, Mena went to the village well to fetch water with the other women Read more…

Long, long ago, there lived a poor couple with their only son. Working as daily wagers, the couple earned very little money. Growing up, their son started working as well. However, it still wasn’t enough to help them meet their expenses. He decided to go to a faraway town to make more money and get Read more…