About This Site

Table of Contents

• 1. About This Site
  • 1.1 What you will find here
  • 1.2 Why this content
  • 1.3 Why I started this
  • 1.4 A small word on those sites also
  • 1.5 A One-Man Effort
• 2. About Babu

About This Site

Before I share the focus of this space, I want to share how it came to be.

Previously, I maintained both a Substack page and a Google Blogger page. However, I found that hosting nearly identical content on both platforms created technical complications. Because the detailed posts on Blogger were being flagged as duplicate content, they were not being properly indexed by search engines. To resolve this, I have withdrawn the content from the previous blog and paused my Substack schedule to consolidate my efforts here.

This site (babutellsstories.blogspot.com), is my primary home for writing. I chose this name to be my signature and representative of my work.

If you are wondering where you may have seen some of the content here, well, I did have a site on Blogger – writtenbybabu.blogspot.com. Due to a technical issue, I had to bring that site down. The content is there, backed up, and I am planning to revive the content that I had published there.

What you will find here

This site is dedicated to retelling the stories from the Mahabharata of Kashidas, the Ramayana of Krittibas, the Hitopadesha, and other Indian texts. Each post begins with the story itself, but does not stop there. For the stories from the Ramayana of Krittibas and the Mahabharata of Kashidas, I explore why particular stories were included, how the Bengali versions differ from their Sanskrit counterparts, how characters are portrayed across the versions, and what later authors may have added, removed, or rearranged. The aim is not merely to tell the tale, but to understand how these texts evolved and why they were written in the way they were.

Why this content

The Bengali in me wanted me to. The Ramayana of Krittibas and the Mahabharata of Kashidas have been part of Bengali households. Then Hitopadesha, said to have been written in Bengal.

Why I started this

I have two Blogger sites: Mahabharata of Kashidas and Ramayana of Krittibas. 

The work I did on those sites was a rough word-for-word telling/translation. They still exist and will stay. I plan to expand on that. I will be taking each chapter from the Ramayana of Krittibas and the Mahabharata of Kashidas, tell the story and analyse the story.

A small word on those sites also

In 2015, I went through a personal loss when I lost my mother. I was trying to build those sites as a tribute to her, and also to divert my attention. Today, now that I am retired from my professional capacity, I want to resume that.

I want to concentrate on Bengal-centric texts for now. So along with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, I will be doing the same (telling the tale and analysing it) for Hitopadesha also.

A One-Man Effort

This is a singular effort. I do not have a team; I manage the research, writing, and technical maintenance myself, alongside my responsibilities outside the cyber world. While I am not committing to a rigid schedule at this time, I plan to post as frequently as possible.

The artwork I have used is something I have generated. If there is an issue with that artwork, please let me know and I will remove them.

To support the research that goes into maintaining this, I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When relevant, I include affiliate links to related products, such as books or art prints. If you choose to purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my work!

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About Babu

Namaste / Namaskar / Hello. I am Babu, a retired IT professional based in Bengaluru. Born in Hyderabad and educated in Delhi, I am a Bengali at heart. My career in the Information Technology industry spanned thirty-five years and allowed me to travel extensively throughout India and abroad.

In this chapter of my life, I am focusing on a lifelong interest: sharing the stories I have read or heard over the years. These are stories that I personally value, and I hope they resonate with you as well.

Thank you for visiting. Please feel free to leave a comment; I will try to respond at the earliest opportunity.

Enjoy the stories, the analysis and share them with others. Let others also learn from it, as I learn, each day at a time.