Once, an old woman brought up a black calf that grew into a strong bull. He came to be known as ‘Kaalu’. Kaalu was full of katannu (gratitude). He often thought, ‘The old woman is poor, yet feeds me well. How will I ever repay her?’ One day, Kaalu saw a merchant trying to cross […]
A pious man named Magha lived in a small village. There were thirty families in his village. All the people of the village respected and admired Magha deeply. They believed that he was the only person who practised what he preached. One day, the entire village gathered for a meeting. Magha decided to teach them
The Cubic Houses are a set of novel houses built in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 1977. As the name suggests, these structures are actually cube shaped houses that the architect decided to tilt 45 degrees from the traditional shape of a house and rest them on hexagonal shaped pillars. The houses comprise three floors with a
There was a rich Brahmin who lived in Sarnath. He in his old age built himself a large house that had a big garden too. Many poor people of his city begged for alms outside his house. But he gave no one anything. He instead spent his time gaining fame by giving sermons. All the
The Catherine Palace was built in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia in 1717. The Catherine Palace was the summer residence for the Tsars. The interiors were constructed in neo-classical styles of the 18th century. Among other interiors, the Palace was known for its grand suit of formal rooms with painted ceilings and decorated rooms, and the formal
Once, a rich man owned a strong bull, called Shaurya. He was well fed and cared for. One day, Shaurya saw a poster calling for the strongest bull in town for a reward. ‘This is the best way I can repay my master,’ thought Shaurya. The next day, in the competition, the bulls had to
Once, an elephant lived in a king’s palace. Every day, a huge quantity of food was served to him. A weak and poorly fed stray dog also lived in the neighbourhood. One day, the dog sneaked into the shed where the elephant was eating his meal. The dog started to eat the food-crumbs scattered on
Once, there lived a gentle, kind and harmless royal elephant named Airavat. One night, a gang of robbers stopped outside the elephant-shed. They were rude and aggressive and spoke to one another in foul language. Airavat was alone in the shed. The rude talk reached his ears. At first, Airavat did not like the way
The Hanging Temple was built in the Shanxi Province, in China over 1,500 years ago. The Hanging Temple is an iconic structure because of its location. Built on a sheer precipice, the temple is kept steady by oak crossbeams that are fitted into chiseed holes in the side of the cliff. The main support structure
Once, a Raja owned a stallion who was considered the best in all the kingdoms across the globe. The grooms took the horse every day for a bath in a lake. One day, the horse refused to enter the lake. When the grooms tried to pull him towards the lake, he neighed loudly. The grooms
Once, there lived a horse by the name Kanthaka, who was strong, loyal, wise and intelligent. He was known as the Knowing One, as he always guided his riders without needing any instructions. One day, the armies of seven kings attacked the kingdom. The Raja ordered the soldier to take Kanthaka to defend. A night
Once, a Raja’s favourite chariot became wet in the rain. The royal dogs smelled the wet leather seats and greedily tore it up and ate it. The next morning, the Raja realised that it was the work of some dogs. He ordered all dogs, but not the royal ones, to be killed. The panicked dogs
The Natural History Museum was built in London between 1873 and 1880. The Natural History Museum contains more than 80 million specimens of life and earth sciences, including books, journals, manuscripts and artworks that were initially housed in the British Museum. The construction made use of bricks and terracotta tiles to help keep moisture and
Once, the Buddha was preaching the people, in the neighbourhood of Savatthi. There lived a man of great wealth who suffered from many ailments. He came to the Buddha to take help. The Buddha saw the luxuries with which the man was surrounded. He saw his rich clothes and jewellery and his well-decorated horse cart.
Once, a Monkey King by the name Arahant ruled thousands of monkeys in the Lumbini Grove. A drought struck. The monkeys started to leave their homes in search of water. The Monkey King warned them, “Do not eat fruit or drink water that looks unusual.” The monkeys reached a lake. The Monkey King looked around