Story Practices

On your career journey?

I am an engineer by qualification. In 1996, I completed instrumental engineering and worked in Computer Education. At CMC, I was handling Authorised Training Centers in Maharashtra.
After that I moved to United States with my husband who was an IT professional. This was between 1998 and 2001. In the United States, I came across the library culture and storytelling,
I also observed that the education system there focused on reading and expression.
When I returned to India, I wanted to bring books and stories to the classroom. I first started a reading club in Pune. I did a two years Masters in Social Work and started working with NGOs. I was working with an Observation Centre for Boys. I would give the children books to read from my home and built a structured program for them. It helped them to imagine a happy world
outside the institutional walls. Out of the 15 boys, 4 boys went to back to school.
I thought that the program is working here – I started working with more with schools, NGOs. It was beautiful to see children read and express themselves through this program. In
2010, we started Enlit Kids in Pune India. We had a book shop with a reading club, book launches and other events. People liked our concept and schools started approaching us for library curation. We started providing resources for schools. Now we have more than 300 schools, from International to tribal schools, where we provide consultancy, meaningful resources and trainings.
Our third initiative is Kathasktakam – a global storyteller’s collective. We collaborated with various organisations in COVID for certification courses for storytellers. To showcase the skills
of the participants, we started our YouTube channel. During Diwali 2020, 8 storytellers did regional storytelling performances in Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, English, Konkani and Tamil. This
was our first event. We named the collective Kathashtakam – this name had the power of infinity and cultural significance.
We would meet every now and then to share our storytelling journeys with each other. In 2023, we started the membership program which offers upskilling webinars, trainings and power of a
supportive network.

We are bringing together people from Kid Lit, storytelling and education. We are building an ecosystem for Kid Lit professionals and storytellers to grow together. I believe storytelling is a very effective way to educate, communicate and channelize information.
I think stories can create a wonderful imprint even for adults – writing, teaching or creating brands. We are all moulded by stories. In Kathashtakam – more and more members are joining
from all over India, from Pune, where we are based, to storytellers from all over the world. I am now a certified Storyteller. I got my storytelling certificate from Kathalaya. Geeta Ramanujam had conducted a course for us in the Beginner’s Certificate Course in Pune. I am an alumni of Goldman Sach’s 10,000 women as a part of NSERCEL of IIM Bangalore and Enlit Kids is supported by the organization.

Storytelling in Action – Some Pictures

Could you talk about the Indian heritage of storytelling?

We have a great history of storytelling – the day starts and end with stories being shared with the family. Stories will be narrated to the whole family regardless of people who go out for job and people who stay at home, age and other considerations etc. When the stories are shared, the positive stories are shared and memories of negative stories are cancelled.

We have grown up in a such a world where everything is defined as good and evil. Everything is black and white, good and evil – the third option is not there. In the future, children will come to such a world where they will find it difficult to judge everything as good and bad. And it was also added by Sir at the end of the PPAI course, “Don’t teach children only about good and bad.” I like this and support this in all my work.

We have grown up in this world accepting the fact that there are only two things opposite to each other like good or bad Black or White but we must be ready to accept that are also something’s beyond good, bad like there is a stage called normal which is not good and also which is not bad. Through story telling we can prove some of the facts that won’t exist at all like “Doing nothing is also normal and ok if it’s not going to harm anyone”.

Can you talk about your use of music in storytelling?

Music is great. I won’t be able to start a day without music. I am doing my youtube channel only for the music.

Could you talk about your storytelling style?

I want that children should pass on their stories to others. My style consists of music, instruments and voice modulation. People do rely on content. We must be able to create each other’s every day.

Could you talk about why you would encourage others to take up storytelling?

Story telling is not like any other art like painting or drawing to be sit and  learnt and then implement it later but it should be learnt practically.. it means lot of focus patience and accepting reality…

We must have the ability make  people to travel through different worlds from their sitting room. We are living in the world of beliefs that Lord Krishna or Lord Rama lived like that so we also should be like that…which we learnt from their stories the mankind evolved….

It’s like

 If you have great responsibility on changing the world and people

Keep going with story telling…

Make people believe your words such that the next moment, next day of their life starts with your words. The legacy of storytelling from Harikatha to Movie whether a short story or series of novel. We must make a move towards blending technology with storytelling and teach the next generation about Harikatha, Tholubommalata, our traditional arts and bring back the Art form of India.

Could you talk about your career?

I have been teaching English since 16 years. Teaching was not in my career plan. It has been a passion now. Day by day I take up an assignment of teaching English not as a subject but as a language. Storytelling has become a major part of English teaching – using art, music, dance as my tools in the classroom teaching. I have been living in Nellore, Andra Pradesh since 2006.

I don’t believe in four wall teaching. I often take my classes in the garden or in the playground. Mostly classes are kinetic and radiating energy. They are playful, active and energetic.

Could you talk about the International storytelling sessions you have been doing?

I got introduced to the Chennai Storytelling Festival during Covid days. I found it online – a space where people can register and share stories – adults and children. I was a listener for a few years. After I did the storytelling course at Philosophical Practitioners Association of India and Story Arts Foundation conducted by Story Arts Foundation Founder Deepa Kiran. Deepa Kiran is my inspiration and she guided me through my teaching and storytelling activities. I participated in an adult storytelling session at the Chennai Storytelling Festival. I have an upcoming event for children at Chennai Storytelling Festival. The sessions are such that people can sit and listen too. We didn’t know how two hours passed with people from all over the world narrating stories – Africans, Americans etc,. everyone was in different time zones.

During my session, I started my introduction as being from Nellore, India. I was proud to be Indian. I was proud to be Indian in an international story festival. It was just smooth flow. They appreciated me for keeping up the time. I finished my story with a question. They said, “you finished an international storytelling session with a question not a moral.” All were feeling the narrative was great. I felt so happy to be there.

What was the theme of story?

The theme was the hope of living. We don’t have to wait for a great power to come from above. It comes to you at the right time and right place.

Why would you recommend storytelling as a practice to teachers?

I feel storytelling won’t work beyond language teaching contexts through there are people working in storytelling for maths, science etc. In English language teaching, storytelling can move children to sit in class and listen to values practicals.

Could you talk about your books written for Pachyderm Tales?

I have written two books – Kuttu Thathavum Chutty Kuzhandaigalum and Paroupkaram idam sarira. More books are on the way.

Extending good attitude towards others, extending good words and good relationship with them are some of the themes in these two books.

Could you talking about working with Pachyderm Tales?

Uma Aparna is giving  very good space for writers and keep on encouraging New Writers giving various titles for the Book on topic for Stories they wish to write. They are working with different audiences – children to old age persons. Uma is giving so many people a writing space. She is reenergizing the writers who are able to write for social causes. They encourage good writing. I won the Pachyderm Tales third prize for Kuttu Thatha and Chutty Kuzhandaigalum.

Could you talk about your writing process?

Books should not very scholarly and be able to talk to younger audiences. They should tell children how to be good to parents, society, in areas they are interested in working with, working for Indian causes and working in the global context with global understanding.

Children are growing as plants and fruits. Through books, they should learn about social development and their role in it. Whatever path they take up be it engineering, as authors, or saving human lives they should do it with social causes in mind.

Could you talk about your Story Kittu Thathavum Chutti Koyandigalum ?

“Kuttu Thathavum Chutty Kuzhandaigalum” is the imaginary story of a socially aware  and concerned retired teacher. He starts and runs an orphanage for children – helping them, sending them to school starting from LKG, UKG and teaching them about getting up early in the morning, doing yoga,  exercises, teaching them about punctuality etc. The orphanage started with 2-3 children and goes up with 40-50 children. The orphanage teaches children about different aspects of the world.  Kuttu Thatha is in his 60s. I am 60 years old and I have seen many people of this age doing things like Kuttu Thatha.

Could you talk about your second Story Paropakaram idam sariram?

The second Story is on how the purpose of the body is to be utilised to live for others. It is an imaginary collection of short stories. The tongue is something that can do wonders – it can spread both good and evil. The stories talk about the important of being kind and courteous.

Could you talk about aspects of Indian culture?

Indian Culture is based on shastrangal. It has been with Indians before the fields of science and technology. It comes from the Vedic heritage. The Saptha Swaras have come to us starting from the Vedas. There are 4 vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana. I hail from a Yajur Veda family. In the olden days, the rishis followed the Hindu culture. Indians are now taking this culture to the whole world.  Attracted by the Vedic Heritage of India, many foriegn People from different countries come and settle in India and follow Indian culture. 

Could you talk about aspects of Vedic culture?

Our Madi, acharam, following our religeous rites, all came to us from the Vedas. You need to realise the Atman. Yogic protocols have to be followed to realise the Atman. The Self is to be realised. The Atman or the Self is to be realised through the Vedas.

Siva, Vishnu and Brahma are the three aspects of the universal consciousness. 

Sivan has no mother or father. He creates the world for people to do well in it. Vedic knowledge has to be followed.

The creation is done by Brahman (Padaithal)

The preservation is done by Narayana, just to repeat his name is to preserve ( kathal)

The transformation is done by Sivan (azhithal)

Could you talk about Atman or Vedanta?

Atman is inside us. Atman is equal to life. The body perishes but the Atman does not perish. The Atman is in reality Paramatman only.

The three gunas are

Sattva – Doing everything positively

Rajas – Opposite of tamas, doing everything at lightning speed.

Tamas – Sleeping, non awareness of time, lethargic activity

Could you talk about Indian shastragal?

It is important to teach slokangal. The Thirukural has many verses that teach dharma. Wearing vibhuti, telling slokas, getting up before sunrise which is Brahmamuhurtam and sanctified time, lighting oil lamps, are some shastrangal that make life prosperous.

In the Geeta, Krishna is in human form. He accepts all and befriends all – cows, gopis etc. He shows how to live. Avaiyar in Athichudi discusses dharma for all to understand. All this is satsang – Bal Vikas, slokamgal, Vedas to be taught to children.

Karakre vasate Lakshmi

Kara madhye Saraswathi

Kara mooletu Govinda

Parabhate kara darshanam

Our culture talks about how Jeevatman and Paramatman are same.

Tat tvam Asi and Aham Bhramasmi in the Vedanta mean that ‘I am God myself’ but not in egoistic manner. We need to look within ourselves to find Atman.

Could you talk about the philosophy of Bhakti?

We all want to do something. We do take help from someone else. Through Bhakti and dhyan you take help from God. We call God is the various names. We say Muruga with affection. Bhakti is shakti and an opening into the supramental.

What is Sri Vidya?

Ambhal is respected in this marg. Bhakti is moola marga to realise the Supreme Power, the God. SriVidya is the path of Ambhal. When we progress in Srividya we get Tejas. There are many levels in Sri Vidya Upasana. We extol Ambha in this pathway as Jadadamba.

Could you talk about Sthree Dharma?

The woman is expected to be philosophical guide of the household. Shakti was given to women only. Women can use both left and right brains

Can you talk about the need for awareness about women’s health?

We hardly ever focus on women’s health in our society — except perhaps during pregnancy. There needs to be more awareness especially for young girls.  There is no conversation around health for middle aged women.  We need to talk about how women live their lives—always cooking and working for others.  We need to talk about how women taking care of themselves is considered selfishness. I would advise women to keep an hour to themselves – to do yoga, walk or read a book.

There is a beautiful photo article by Meera Ganapati on exercising in public spaces and how difficult this is.  How many times do you see mothers playing badminton? Walking is sometimes difficult because we have to worry about safety—traffic, stray dogs all posing a problem. How many women have access to public parks? Marathon runners talk about how men laugh at them. There are so many angles to  women’s health.

If you exercise, questions are raised like, “She wants to look good? For whom does she want to look good for?”

If you want to go for a  Zumba class it will raise an eyebrow. Health is not a priority in women’s lives. Hormones and moods can take a toll. Women need support from their family to access doctors and to be able to afford therapy sessions. A lot of women have depression, bipolar disorder or are processing traumas from childhood. 

Plus there is this pressing need to be a supermom. No signs of weakness are allowed. This makes it very daunting. There are changes that are happening in the media today about the role and image of women. These are small changes but we have a long way to go.

Can you talk about storytelling and stereotypes?

I was reading this Kannada folktale about a crow and a sparrow – Kagakka and Gubakka – The crow is a freeloader and the sparrow is hardworking  reinforcing stereotypes about fair and dark skin. As a storyteller you have a responsibility when you pick stories. These stereotypes can affect perspectives and mental health.

Can you talk about storytelling and healing?

As a storyteller there is a part of your self that you put in the story.  Storytelling is an outlet. It can be cathartic. You may not know who you will connect with. I do personal stories—because I believe they have the power to heal – the self and others. Your story can be someone else’s survival guide.  I see storytelling as being about connection, evolution and closure.

Once upon a time, there lived a beast that roamed through Tamil lands. He was a tall beast, taller that the tallest trees that grew in the Tamil lands. He was a tall beast, taller than the tallest mountains that rose in the Tamil lands. He thus could touch the cool blue sky that covered the earth. The clouds were eaten by him frequently as he could reach for them. Though he was otherwise a peaceful beast – he had this one habit that caused chaos and destruction in Tamil lands. And that habit was this – he would eat the clouds for food – however due to this, the Tamil people suffered terribly. There were no clouds, so there were not, and this meant there was no rain, so there was not, this meant there were no crops that grew on Tamil soils so there were not. This meant over time the Tamil lands turned into a desert, so they did. This story of the Tamil beast, was as you could imagine from a long long time ago. This story of the Tamil beast, was as you could imagine from the time when the Tamil lands had been a desert. When the Tamil lands had been a desert the Tamil people of then lived like the desert people. They wore colorful cloths and spent their time gazing at the Sun and drawing from its infinite light and wisdom. The colorful cloths were almost like a uniform because they had the same colours and patterns always.