The second edition of Lit Tales, Bharat’s first and largest immersive literature and cultural carnival for children, conducted by The Verandah Club and Prakriya International School, Coimbatore, concluded with resounding success on January 25th, 2025. The event, themed ‘Imagine, Immerse, Illuminate’, brought together over 1200 students from 16 schools across the region, exceeding its expectations. Held at the picturesque Prakriya International School Campus along with an energetic and inspiring backdrop created for children, Lit Tales 2025 featured 21 renowned storytellers who conducted over 40 engaging sessions, captivating young minds and fostering a love for literature, culture, and creativity.
Lit Tales 2025 broke the traditional pattern of literature festivals, with its dynamic and engaging format based on age group and interest profile of the students. Interactive seminars in the plenary hall were complemented by a diverse array of breakout sessions spread across the campus, covering topics like art, storytelling, pottery, and HAM radio. Film screening also happened round the clock, on the content from Prachyam Kids. At any point in time, there were a minimum 5 sessions and activities happening parallelly both the days – which talks about the level of rich engagement and high-quality content the children have had, and the meticulous planning gone behind the event.
This carnival-like atmosphere, complete with fun activities such as pottery making, caricature drawing, and ice cream stalls, encouraged children to naturally immerse themselves in the world of literature and culture. This unique approach truly lived up to the ‘festival’ title, fostering a vibrant and engaging learning environment.
The festival offered a diverse range of activities, including Cultural Immersion Programs, Heritage learning, leadership lessons, writing workshops, book readings, film screenings, art therapy, live HAM radio demonstrations, and photography workshops. Students also had the opportunity to interact with the esteemed storytellers, get their books signed, and explore a vast collection of books at the Subbu Books stall.
One of the highlights of Lit Tales 2025 was the puppetry show from Anaadi Foundation, which was a massive hit among the children. The show’s captivating narration and interactive elements brought Indian epics to life, leaving the children enthralled. Aishwarya Rao, director of Vivekalaya group of institutions, opened the minds of the children with her thought-provoking session on children as the future of Bharat. She addressed the underlying issues and potential solutions to meet the challenges ahead.
Puppetry by Anaadi Foundation
Br. Gurupriya Chaitanya took the children on an imaginative journey to the cosmos, expanding their understanding of the complex space through his session on Bharathiya Astronomy. Bal Sahithya Awardee Nandhini Sengupta’s interactive session introduced the children to the mysteries of Bharat’s history and unsung freedom fighters, inspiring them with their stories and a session – ‘The Golden Sword’ on Rani Durgavathi.
Sai Swaroopa Iyer, best-selling author and curator of the event, empowered the children to become storytellers themselves. She guided them through the process of creating characters, deciding on a plot, and crafting their own stories. The children’s enthusiasm was evident as they created characters and wrote stories on the spot, leaving everyone in awe.
Gaurav Tiwari, founder of Sutradhar, introduced the children to the exciting world of Indic gaming with his self-designed board game, Ramabhoomi, based on Bharatiya epics and Puranas. The children thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on gaming session, delving into the rich narratives and cultural heritage embedded in the game. Aashika from Drithi Creators engaged the children with a unique Bharatiya Pauranic-based Sudoku game, challenging their problem-solving skills, and introducing them to a fun way to learn about Bharatiya epics.
Shefali Vaidya’s session, ‘Epic beginnings’, emphasized the importance of Indianness and kindled a national spirit in the children, serving as a motivational experience. Swaroop Sampath Rawal explored the understanding of emotions through art, breaking down the emotional aspects of a child and demonstrating how art can help cope with them.
The festival also featured a panel discussion with Shefali Vaidya and Aishwarya Rao, who discussed the connection between classroom learning and culture. They introduced cultural aspects of Bharat and broke them down to a classroom level for better understanding.
Arjun Bharadwaj’s session took the children on a journey through the lost kingdoms of Bharat, exploring historical aspects and valuable lessons from the Vijayanagar Empire and Hampi. Dinesh Ghodke from The Art of Living explored tales that shaped the country and introduced the children to unique yoga practices, creating a serene setting for them to explore their inner minds through yoga and meditation.
Jijith Nedumuri Ravi, an ISRO scientist who worked on the Chandrayan mission, took the children on an astronomical journey, and surprised them with a holographic, augmented reality experience of ancient Bharatiya history. Prakash Belawadi, a renowned film star and theatre artist, offered a unique perspective on Bharatiya culture, history, and the unity.
Shakkeela Manoj conducted an art session that helped children achieve mindfulness through art and introduced them to Gond art and its techniques. Vaishnavi Gurushankar’s storytelling session introduced the children to the ‘Legend of the Tusker’ and the Panchabhootas, combining storytelling and knowledge. The children also enacted their own stories during the session.
Clown Kalakshebam by Vigneshwaran G presented a unique session where the clown narrated ancient tales and connected them to modern classroom settings. Abhinav Kadambi’s session explored the Dashavatara with supportive images, breaking down the intricate concepts for the children. Dharanendra Momaya and his colleagues captivated the children with a live demonstration of HAM Radio, showcasing its fascinating capabilities and sparking curiosity about this unique communication technology.
Pradeep Chakravarthy took the children on a life-friendly historical journey, where they learned about their immediate ancestors and their lives. He also showcased artifacts that piqued the children’s interest. Hari and Namrata founders of The Vedic Pond introduced the Indian Knowledge System and its advantages to modern children, helping them understand the richness of ancient Bharatiya education systems.
Siddarth Srinivasan conducted a practical photography workshop, simplifying photography for the children and enabling them to take good photos with their mobile phones. S Vijayakumar led a group of children on a journey to a temple in Tirupur, explaining the idols, architecture, and various aspects of South Indian temples along the way.
‘We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to Lit Tales 2025’, said Jaganathan S, the founder of The Verandah Club. ‘The event has truly ignited a passion for literature and culture in these young minds, and we are confident that it will have a lasting impact on their lives’, he added.
Lit Tales 2025 was organized by The Verandah Club in association with Prakriya International School, Coimbatore. Aishwarya Rao, Festival Director, speaking on the fest, said, ‘LitTales 2025 was an extravaganza of literary genius, enthralling speakers and engaging activities. The two days fest brought the best in children’s literature to Coimbatore. It was an amazing opportunity for the students of the city to interact with the stalwarts of art, literature, history and theatre’.
The Verandah Club is a Coimbatore-based organization dedicated to promoting Bharatiya culture and literature through various initiatives; including the Western Ghats Literature Festival for English, the Kongu Tamil Sangamam for Tamil, the SpotLite, frequent Filter Coffee Sessions, and book launches.
Driven by the mission to bring about a cultural renaissance in Bharat, The Verandah Club is well-guided by Chairman Prof. P. Kanagasabapathi and Director Shefali Vaidya, who also curates the Western Ghats Lit Fest, Director & Mentor Sundar Ramachandran, Chief Advisor Ramachandra Prasad, and Director N Saravanakumar. The organization is committed to promoting Bharatiya culture and literature through various initiatives, including Lit Tales, its flagship event for children.
Prakriya International School is a renowned educational institution committed to providing a holistic learning experience for students. The school’s partnership with The Verandah Club has created a positive synergy, making Lit Tales 2025 an enriching and inspiring experience for all participants.
