Around the World in Stories: Magical Journeys for Curious Kids

The air in the city of Jaipur smells of marigolds and hot, sweet chai tea. It’s a city buzzing with a special kind of magic. A different kind than the green, misty magic of the mischievous leprechauns we chased through Ireland, but a magic you can taste and feel all the same. Come with me, into the Johari Bazaar. Can you hear it? The dinging bells of bicycle rickshaws, the chatter of a hundred conversations at once, the sizzle of food cooking on open stalls. The sunlight streams down, catching the glitter on a thousand flowing scarves and making the pink walls of the city glow.

Let’s get a snack. A fresh samosa! It’s a warm, triangle-shaped pocket of dough, crispy on the outside and filled with soft, spiced potatoes and peas. Be careful, it’s hot! Delicious, right? Now, look over there. By the stall piled high with shimmering glass bangles in every color of the rainbow, an old woman with kind, crinkly eyes is telling a story. Everyone calls her Dadi, which means grandmother. Let's go listen. She sees us coming and pats the spot next to her on the rug. “I will tell you,” she says, her voice like rustling silk, “about the cleverest and kindest god of all.

I will tell you about Ganesha.” Long, long ago, the goddess Parvati was getting ready for her bath. She wanted someone to guard her door, someone loyal and strong. So, she took the turmeric paste she used for her skin, and from it, she molded a handsome young boy. She breathed life into him, and told him, “You are my son. Let no one enter.” The boy stood guard, proud and determined. Soon, Parvati’s husband, the great god Shiva, came home. He had been away for a very long time. When he tried to enter his own home, the boy blocked his path.

“No one may enter,” the boy said firmly. Shiva, not knowing this was Parvati’s creation, grew angry. “I am the master of this house!” he boomed. But the boy would not move. A terrible fight began. And in his fury, Shiva… he cut off the boy’s head. When Parvati came out and saw what had happened, her heart broke into a million pieces. Her cries of sorrow shook the mountains. When Shiva understood what he had done—that he had destroyed Parvati’s son—he was filled with regret. “I will make it right,” he promised. He sent his followers out with an order: bring back the head of the very first living creature you find sleeping with its head facing north.

The first creature they found was a wise and powerful elephant. They brought its head back to Shiva. With his divine power, Shiva placed the elephant’s head onto the boy’s body and brought him back to life. Parvati’s joy was immense. Shiva embraced the boy and named him Ganesha, making him the leader of all his followers. He declared that from that day forward, before anyone started anything new—a journey, a book, a business—they must first honor Ganesha. Because he is the Remover of Obstacles. The Dadi smiles at us, her story finished.

The sun is setting now, turning the pink city to gold. The air is cooling, and the scent of jasmine flowers begins to drift from the temples. Before we go, we buy a jalebi—a bright orange, spiral-shaped sweet, soaked in sugary syrup. It’s sticky and crunchy and tastes like sunshine. As you eat, you can still feel the warmth of the story in your heart. Because in India, you quickly learn that even the biggest obstacle can be the start of a whole new, wonderful story.