Discover India's artistic and literary heritage, from ancient epics to classical paintings
Kalidasa's Abhijnanasakuntalam, a 4th century CE Sanskrit play dramatizing Shakuntala's story from the Mahabharata, considered classical Indian drama's finest work.
Kautilya's Arthashastra, an ancient Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, politics, and economic policy, compiled between 1st-3rd century CE.
The Aṣṭādhyāyī by Pāṇini is ancient India's comprehensive Sanskrit grammar text, composed circa 4th century BCE, revolutionizing linguistic science.
Cilappatikāram, the earliest Tamil epic composed in 5th century CE, tells the tragic love story of Kannaki and Kovalan in 5,730 verses.
Gita Govinda by Jayadeva, a 12th-century Sanskrit masterpiece depicting Krishna and Radha's divine love through lyrical poetry and devotional verses
Rabindranath Tagore's longest novel Gora (1910) explores identity, nationalism, and religious reform in 1880s colonial Bengal through philosophical debates.
Ancient Sanskrit biography of Emperor Harsha by court poet Banabhatta, marking the beginning of historical poetic literature in India
Rabindranath Tagore's 1892 Bengali short story about cross-cultural friendship between an Afghan fruit seller and a Bengali girl
Kālidāsa's epic Sanskrit poem on Kumāra's birth, regarded as the finest kāvya in Classical Sanskrit literature.
Manimekalai is a 2nd-6th century Tamil Buddhist epic by Seethalai Satanar, sequel to Cilappatikaram, exploring spiritual enlightenment over romantic love.
Ancient Sanskrit drama by Śūdraka depicting love between Brahmin Cārudatta and courtesan Vasantasenā in Ujjayini, 5th century CE.
Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit political drama by Vishakhadatta depicting Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power through Chanakya's strategic brilliance.
Ancient Sanskrit treatise on performing arts by sage Bharata, foundational text for Indian classical dance, drama, and music traditions.
Ancient Indian collection of animal fables in Sanskrit, one of the world's most translated literary works with timeless wisdom.
Raghuvaṃśa, Kalidasa's 5th century Sanskrit mahakavya in 19 cantos, narrates the illustrious lineage of the Raghu dynasty from Dilipa to Agnivarna.
Kalhana's 12th-century Sanskrit chronicle of Kashmir's kings, a pioneering historical work blending legend and critical historiography.
Tulsidas's 16th-century Awadhi epic retelling Valmiki's Ramayana, a cornerstone of North Indian devotional literature and Hindu culture.
Rabindranath Tagore's 1916 novel exploring the clash between nationalism and rational humanism during Bengal's Swadeshi movement
Ancient Tamil literary masterpiece of 1,330 couplets on virtue, wealth, and love by Thiruvalluvar, celebrated for its universal wisdom and secular ethics
Chokher Bali (Sand in the Eyes) - a disambiguation term referring to multiple creative works in Indian arts and literature
Vikramorvaśīyam, a 5th-century Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa narrating the Vedic love story of King Pururavas and the celestial nymph Ūrvaśī.