Mahabharata, the ancient Sanskrit epic is now being introduced in a new storybook format for children by two young laywers.
Titled "Warriors of Kurukshetra", the epic divided into a set of four books has been re-written by Mumbai-based lawyer-duo Mamta Bhatt and Tripti Sheth.
Much like any other storybook, the imprint of Divinedoor publications is a motley of colorful illustrations along with the story, while giving nicknames to the protagonists like Yudhi (Yudhishtir), Duryo (Duryodhan) amongst others for ease of familiarity.
"Numerous hours were spent with our illustrating artist, giving him narrations... We felt we were visualisers explaining the scenes to an artist to paint. You will notice that out of 100 illustrations in our book, 75 per cent of them would not have been seen before," says Mamta Bhatt.
Even though the format of the epic has been changed to suit a certain readership, the authors have retained the full story with a few flowchart unlike other options available in the market.
"Warriors of Kurukshetra is not exactly an abridged version of the Mahabharat. We were clear that we wanted to present the full story and maintain the soul of the epic. You will see many stories in our book that have not been covered before," says Tripti Seth.
The authors who decided to give a new name to the ancient epic in order to lend freshness, believe that such books are an effective way for children to get to know their roots and culture.
"It is important to know ones roots and history, to learn from them ...Why re-invent the wheel when we already have a rich heritage of wisdom to guide us," says Seth.
