Wise Yudhishthira, strong Bheema, skilful Arjuna, brave Nakula and Sahadeva – five exceptionally talented brothers whose youthful exuberance made their Kaurava cousins very jealous. Things only got worse when Duryodhana found that everyone wanted Yudhishthira as king. It was their courage and skill that helped the Pandava princes survive several murderous plots. And as a bonus, they won themselves wonderful wives!

Retold for readers from the Occident as well as those educated in English medium, the stories from one of the world's oldest and longest epic Mahabharat abound in a wealth of multi-faceted characters and variegated worldviews.When King Pandu meets his end from the terrible Curse of the Deer in the Snow Mountains his queen and sons decide to return to their capital. Little do the Pandav Princes know that before they can claim their legacy they have to face evil lurking in dark corridors of the palace, escape infernos and live in wilderness, combat cannibals, marry giantesses and win princesses, descend to the Netherworld and ascend to the Elysium to procure celestial weapons. After being denied justice they face an apocalyptic, fratricidal war which threatens to devastate the realm on the cusp of ages, and questions their very belief in ethics. But the Pandavs are no ordinary humans. Born with the blessings of Celestial lords, they have the charismatic Krishna as their friend, philosopher, and guide who can steer them through the calamities that befall them. Or, can he?

Starting off as the ruler of tiny Thaneshwar, Harsha (17th century AD) rose to become the powerful monarch of the kingdom of kanauj. He avenged the wicked assassination of his elder brother and the cowardly abduction of his sister. His biographer Bana Bha

The beautiful and spoilt Princess Rupanjali is determined to marry only the Rainbow Prince. When she hears that he is trapped in the body of a red parrot she orders that every bird in the kingdom be trapped and caged. When her maid Nilanjana protests at her cruelty, Rupanjali has her thrown into the cage too. When the new king ignores his old friend the shepherd, he wakes up the next morning with billions of needles poking his skin. Removing one makes two more grow back. As he lies in agony, his queen must find a way of helping him. In these two folk-tales from Bengal, arrogance is always punished – even in a prince or princess.

Jagdis Chandra Bose was the first Indian scientist in modern times to have won international recognition. Gifted with a mind that was at once inquisitive and discerning, Bose wondered about the how and why of things from a very young age. His contribution to the world of science was invaluable. As the 1945 edition of 'Encyclopedia Britannica' wrote: "His work was so much in advance of his time that its precise evaluation was not possible."

The British were ruthless – they drained away the wealth of Bengal to fill their own coffers. In Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 19th-century tale, holy men take up arms, loving husbands abandon their families, and demure housewives become wily spies to fight the reign of terror. Ananda Math, particularly its theme song, ‘Vande Mataram’, inspired an entire generation of idealistic young men and women to revolt against the British rule in India.

Tanaji Malasure was only a boy when he took an oath to support his friend, Shivaji, in fighting the Mughals. Along with their small band of faithful followers they became a thorn in the side of the Emperor Aurangazeb as they conquered fort after fort. Tanaji's prowess was tested when he was entrusted with the near impossible task of capturing Kondana Fort. The present story is based on Shivasmruti by G.S. Sardesai and Shivaji the Maratha – His Life and Times by Sir H.G. Rawlinson.

On the night of April 18, 1930, 'Masterda' Surjya Sen, his five friends, and an army of young boys went into battle in Chittagong, ready to die for freedom and dignity. They attacked the British armouries and cut Chittagong off from the rest of British-ruled India. Masterda hoisted the Indian tricolour and declared an Indian Republic. But they were unlucky. One of the armouries had guns but no ammunition. And the British were ready to retaliate. How long could this ill-equipped and tiny group hold on? Surjya Sen's battle pitted a small handful against the mighty British Empire. Their extraordinary gesture of courage and defiance inspired other freedom fighters, long after they were gone.