A magical listen

India's multilingualism is a cultural treasure, but it can also keep readers from accessing literary riches beyond their own languages. Literature Trails, a podcast that brings stories from Hindi and Urdu literature to listeners, helps bridge this divide. Featuring celebrated writers such as Munshi Premchand, Saadat Hasan Manto, Bhisham Sahni, Ruskin Bond and Jaishankar Prasad, it offers an opportunity to discover stories that might otherwise remain inaccessible to those who aren't comfortable reading Hindi.

The episode, Chota Jadugar, features a short story by Jaishankar Prasad that explores the world through a child's eyes. The story follows a young boy who tries to earn money by performing small tricks at a fair, revealing his resourcefulness and circumstances that shape his life. It offers a glimpse of Prasad's ability to weave human emotion and social realities into a simple narrative. Born in Varanasi in 1889, Prasad was a major figure in modern Hindi literature and theatre, and one of the leading figures of Chhayavaad, the romantic movement in Hindi poetry.

The podcast's appeal lies in making stories accessible to those who may not read Hindi fluently, while reminding us that good stories need no single language to find a home.