The Blue Lotus

Collected Wisdom 

Meena Arora Nayak writes in her excellent book The Blue Lotus: Myths And Folktales of India, “This vastness of over three thousand years of storytelling is difficult to fathom, even for an Indian. Most Indians have an idea of the country’s general ethos that derives from the overarching pan-Indian traditions; however, people living in one part of the country have little idea of folkloric traditions in another part.”  Which is so true, and all the more reason why the work the author put into this volume should be highly appreciated. Her selection of stories from a very deep and wide pool, gives the reader a wonderful insight into the diverse narratives of the country. There are the great epics, the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads tales from the Panchatantra, Jataka Tales, Kathasaritsagar and a treasure trove of stories from the various religious texts and folk tales from the various linguistic groups and tribes of the country. It is impossible to encapsulate them into one volume, but the author has categorized them beautifully, written some evocative notes, and listed such exhaustive references, that this delightful volume could lead the curious reader to many more. The Blue Lotus is for collector to keep and dip into from time to time; and perhaps for parents to read to their children, so that they are introduced to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of India through stories that are as full of magic and adventure as they are replete with wisdom.

The Blue Lotus Myths And Folktales Of India

By Meena Arora Nayak

Publisher: Aleph

Pages: 584