Isapniti and Chandamama Stories

Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

This prompt took me to my childhood. It was a nostalgic moment for me. I remember two books very dear to me Isapniti also known as Aesop’s Fables and another one Chandamama magazine. Both these books I have enjoyed reading in my childhood. Most favourite could be Isapniti. This was available in my mother tongue.

Isapniti or also known as Aesop’s Fables is a collection of short stories that teach moral lessons. These stories, originating from Ancient Greece and attributed to slave and storyteller Aesop’s, are characterised by their simplicity, often featuring animals as characters and their moral implications. The best part of each story was the moral part explained at the end of the story.

Aesop’s stories were short and concise. They are typically brief and to the point. They were quite easy for us to understand. Isapniti stories use animals as protagonists , which wee relatable and engaging for all of us as children. Each story conveys a specific moral or life lesson, mostly related to Honesty, Fairness, Kindness or the consequences of our actions. These stories have high impact on my upbringing. I love the moral part of the story. I still remember many stories from Isapniti.

These stories were really fun n learn stories. Every story has the powerful message for us and the animal characters used to make these stories engaging.

Second book I used to read regularly during my childhood is Chandamama. Actually this is a magazine and popular amongst Indian children. It’s still published on monthly basis. This magazine is known for colourful illustrations and mythological and magical stories. Originally started in Tamilnadu and then published in major Indian languages. The speciality of this magazine is the beautiful illustrations, they brought the stories to life. This magazine featured a wide range of stories, including those from mythology and the world of magic.

This magazine also provided some interesting information about science through Puzzles and short articles.

Both of these books made our childhood very interesting and fun. We never had any TV or Games at home. There were only two choices either go out for playing with friends or read books. I think the absence of mobile, internet and TV has inculcated healthy habits in our generation like reading and cycling or table tennis playing.