International Literacy Day 2026: One Day, One Story, A Thousand Smiles

   

September 8 is International Literacy Day—a day that reminds us that literacy is not merely about knowing how to read and write. It is also about opening the door to imagination, knowledge, curiosity and a lifelong love for learning.

This year, as we celebrate International Literacy Day, an initiative that beautifully brings books, children and readers together deserves attention.

One Day, One Story – ODOS 2026

Every year, Pratham Books conducts One Day, One Story (ODOS), a wonderful reading initiative that takes stories beyond the pages of a book and into the hands of children.

For ODOS 2026, two books from the Pratham Books catalogue are selected and made available to registered Reading Champions. These champions then become storytellers, readers and friends to children around them.

The idea is simple:

Choose a book. =  This year's books -  I LOVE TO READ   &   ASHA'S VOICE 
Gather children.
Read together.
Share the joy of a story.

And sometimes, the simplest ideas create the most meaningful experiences.

Reading in the language closest to the heart

One of the most beautiful aspects of ODOS is its celebration of Indian languages.

The selected books are available in several Indian languages, allowing Reading Champions to choose books in their regional language or mother tongue.

There is something special about hearing a story in a language that feels familiar.

A child may understand the words more easily.
A grandmother may enjoy narrating it.
A parent may remember stories from their own childhood.
And a child who is still discovering the world of books may realise that books can speak their language too.

Literacy becomes more meaningful when children can experience reading not as a classroom exercise, but as something joyful and familiar.

Books travel where children are

ODOS is not confined to one school, one city or one kind of reader.

The initiative reaches Reading Champions across India, creating opportunities for people in different places to bring children together around stories.

Physical copies of the selected books, along with the ODOS banner, are sent to the registered Reading Champions.

And then comes the best part.

There is no rigid classroom.

No particular place is prescribed.

No complicated arrangement is necessary.

A Reading Champion can gather children and read at a convenient time and place—perhaps at home, in a school, a library, a community space or simply under a tree.

The book becomes the meeting place.

The Reading Champion

A Reading Champion need not be a professional teacher or a storyteller.

Anyone who believes that children deserve the joy of books can become part of such an initiative.

The role is wonderfully uncomplicated: take the book to children and read with them.

Read aloud.

Pause.

Ask questions.

Look at the pictures.

Let the children respond.

Laugh at the funny parts.

Wonder about the characters.

And perhaps, after the story ends, listen to the children create stories of their own.

That is how reading slowly becomes a habit.

And perhaps even more importantly, it becomes a shared experience.

Literacy is more than learning alphabets

When we talk about literacy, we often think about classrooms, alphabets, words, examinations and textbooks.

But a child's literacy journey can begin much earlier and much more naturally—with a story.

A child who listens to a story learns new words.

A child who looks at illustrations learns to observe.

A child who asks "Why?" learns to think.

A child who predicts what might happen next learns to imagine.

A child who narrates the story back learns to express.

And a child who discovers a favourite book may become a reader for life.

This is why initiatives such as ODOS are significant. They make reading an experience rather than an assignment.

Two books can begin a reading journey

ODOS may place two books in the hands of a Reading Champion, but those two books can travel much further.

From one reader to a group of children.

From one story to another story.

From one language to another.

From one generation to the next.

Perhaps a child who listens today will pick up a book tomorrow.

Perhaps another child will ask for the same story to be read again.

Perhaps someone will discover a new favourite character.

And perhaps a Reading Champion will discover that reading aloud to children is as enjoyable for the adult as it is for the child.

Because the joy of reading is contagious.

Let stories do what stories do best

We don't always need elaborate programmes to encourage children to read.

Sometimes, we simply need to put a good book in front of a child and give them time.

Give them a reader.

Give them a story.

Give them the freedom to listen, imagine, question and enjoy.

That is the spirit behind One Day, One Story.

And on International Literacy Day, it is worth remembering that literacy is not only about creating readers who can decode words.

It is about creating children who want to read.

Because once the joy of reading enters a child's life, the book need not remain open only for one day.

One day. One story.
One child. One book.
And perhaps, the beginning of a lifelong love affair with reading.

A little story can go a long way.

Happy International Literacy Day 2026!

Moon, Come Out Soon

  

 

In grand lehengas, women gather beneath the waiting sky,
Thaali in hand, their hearts filled with faith and love.
Their voices rise together in melodious bhajans,
A chorus of prayers carried softly into the night.
The day has passed in fasting, patience and devotion,
Now every eye searches for the moon behind the clouds.
For the moon is the long-awaited blessing of the night,
The silver signal that turns fasting into feasting.
Slowly, the clouds drift, hiding and revealing its glow,
Testing the patience of women dressed in festive splendour.
Then, little by little, a white ball of light appears,
A milky diamond glittering in the dark sky.
The thaalis shimmer, the prayers grow softer,
And love waits for the moment of breaking the fast.
A little water, lovingly offered by the husband's hands,
Becomes a sip of affection, faith and togetherness.
Gifts follow, smiles bloom, and prayers turn into gratitude,
For a husband's long life and a marriage filled with love.
Moon, come out soon—shower us with your pure light,
And bless our married lives with bliss, love and everlasting light.

Gloria Steinem: A Life That Taught Women to Question, Choose and Change

   

When we talk about women who changed the way the world thinks about women, Gloria Steinem deserves a place of honour. She may be a familiar name to many, particularly to those who have followed the history of feminism, journalism and women's rights. Yet for younger generations and readers encountering her for the first time, her life offers much more than a history lesson.

Gloria Steinem is an American journalist, author and feminist activist who became one of the most influential voices of the modern women's movement. Through her writing, journalism and activism, she encouraged women across the world to question social expectations, seek equality and find their own voice.

Her message was never simply, "Women must fight."

It was also:

Think. Question. Choose. Speak. Participate. And never believe that your voice is insignificant.

 

From journalism to a larger purpose

Steinem began her career as a journalist at a time when journalism itself was largely a male-dominated profession. She wrote about subjects that mattered to women but were often dismissed as insignificant or treated as private matters.

Her journalism gradually became connected with the women's movement. She co-founded Ms. magazine, which became an important platform for feminist writing and discussion.

Her career demonstrates something important: a profession can become a platform for change.

She did not separate her writing from her beliefs. Her philosophy found its way into her journalism, essays, speeches and books.

Among her best-known works are The Female Mystique? — actually Betty Friedan's book — while Steinem herself wrote influential works including Revolution from Within, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, My Life on the Road and Moving Beyond Words.

Her writing repeatedly returned to questions of identity, equality, power, work, relationships and the assumptions society makes about women.

 

What can we learn from Gloria Steinem?

Steinem's life offers lessons that are remarkably practical even today.

1. Question what you have been told

Perhaps one of her strongest lessons is the importance of questioning.

"This is how things have always been" is not necessarily a good reason to continue doing something.

Why should a woman behave in a particular way?

Why should certain careers be considered unsuitable?

Why should household responsibilities automatically belong to women?

Why should women apologise for ambition?

Questions can be uncomfortable—but they can also be liberating.

A small change: The next time you hear "women are supposed to...", pause and ask: Who decided that?

 

2. Independence is more than earning money

Financial independence is important, but independence also means having the confidence to make decisions.

A woman can be surrounded by people who love her and still need an independent mind.

Having one's own opinions, interests, friendships, reading habits, ambitions and dreams is not selfish.

It is part of being an individual.

A small everyday change: Make at least one decision because you believe it is right—not simply because everyone else expects it.

 

3. Don't make yourself smaller

Women are often taught, directly or indirectly, to be accommodating.

Don't speak too loudly.

Don't appear too ambitious.

Don't know too much.

Don't disagree.

Don't make others uncomfortable.

Steinem challenged these expectations.

There is a wonderful lesson here for women of every age:

You don't have to become smaller to make someone else feel bigger.

Speak when you have something to say. Take credit for your work. Accept your achievements without embarrassment.

 

4. Your voice matters

Steinem used journalism and public speaking to bring women's experiences into public conversation.

That is particularly relevant today.

We all have platforms now—blogs, social media, newsletters, podcasts and community groups.

But having a platform is not the same as using it meaningfully.

A small change: Use your voice occasionally for something that matters—not merely something that attracts attention.

Write about an issue. Recommend a book. Encourage another woman. Share someone's work. Challenge an unfair assumption.

Change doesn't always begin with a protest.

Sometimes it begins with one honest conversation.

 

5. Women don't have to compete with one another

One of the unfortunate ideas society sometimes creates is that women must compete for limited space.

Who is more successful?

Who looks better?

Who married first?

Who earns more?

Whose children achieved more?

Who has the better home?

Who has the perfect life?

Steinem's broader philosophy encourages us to look beyond these comparisons and recognise the importance of solidarity.

A small change: Instead of comparing yourself with another woman, celebrate something she has achieved.

Her success doesn't diminish yours.

 

6. Age should never become a prison

Steinem has also been an important example of continuing to work, speak and participate across decades.

There is a lesson here for women as they grow older.

Society often becomes more restrictive about women with age. Certain clothes are considered inappropriate. Certain ambitions are considered unnecessary. Certain dreams are considered too late.

But why?

There is no expiry date on curiosity.

Learn something new. Read. Write. Travel. Work. Volunteer. Begin a project. Change your mind.

A new chapter can begin at any age.

 

The practicality of her philosophy

What makes Steinem's message interesting is that it need not remain confined to feminist theory or political activism.

It can enter our kitchens, workplaces, families and friendships.

It can mean:

• teaching daughters to make decisions rather than simply obey;
• teaching sons that household work belongs to everyone;
• encouraging women to manage their own finances;
• giving girls equal opportunities to study and dream;
• refusing to judge women by marital status;
• respecting women who choose different paths;
• supporting another woman's career instead of questioning her priorities;
• allowing women to say no without demanding an explanation;
• making space for women to speak in family discussions;
• encouraging older women to continue learning and creating.

These may look like small things.

But social change is often built from small things repeated every day.

 

Her writings: philosophy turned into literature

Steinem's writing is important because she did not merely write about feminism. She examined the experiences, contradictions and expectations surrounding women's lives.

Her essays and books combine personal observation with larger social questions.

In My Life on the Road, for instance, travel becomes more than movement from one place to another. Encounters with people become opportunities to understand communities, politics and human relationships.

Her writing demonstrates the power of combining personal experience with social observation.

That is perhaps one reason her work continues to resonate.

A personal story can reveal a larger social truth.

A woman's experience in a workplace can reveal discrimination.

A conversation between two friends can reveal generations of conditioning.

A family tradition can reveal an assumption about gender.

Literature becomes a way of asking: Why do we live this way? And could we live differently?

 

What can we do as a tribute to Gloria Steinem?

We don't all have to become activists.

We don't have to write a book.

We don't have to stand on a stage.

We can begin much closer to home.

Listen to a woman whose voice is usually ignored.

Give a girl the freedom to dream beyond conventional careers.

Teach a boy that cooking, cleaning and caregiving are human responsibilities—not women's responsibilities.

Read a woman writer.

Recommend her work to someone else.

Support a woman entrepreneur.

Don't judge another woman's choices simply because they are different from yours.

Speak up when an unfair stereotype is presented as truth.

And perhaps most importantly—

allow yourself to live a life that is authentically yours.

 

A tribute that doesn't require a statue

Gloria Steinem's greatest legacy may not be a particular slogan, article or speech.

It may be the countless women who, after encountering her ideas, asked themselves:

"Why not me?"

Why can't I study this?

Why can't I work?

Why can't I travel?

Why can't I write?

Why can't I speak?

Why can't I begin again?

Why can't I choose differently?

That question can change a life.

And perhaps that is the most meaningful tribute we can offer—not simply admiring Gloria Steinem, but putting the values she championed into practice in our everyday lives.

We can question without being disrespectful.

We can be independent without being unkind.

We can be ambitious without being apologetic.

We can support other women without competing with them.

We can grow older without stopping.

And we can use our voices—not only for ourselves, but for those who are still waiting to be heard.

Gloria Steinem taught generations of women to recognise their own agency. The best way to honour that lesson is to use ours.

 

THE LAST TWO OF 108 DIVYADESAMS

   

The Divya kshetram - TIRUPARKADAL / KSHEERASAMUDRAM is in the celestial world. The presiding deity is Ksheerapdinathan, reclining on Adisesha. The Goddess is kadalmagal Nachiyar. The sacred water is Tiruparkadal and the sanctum sanctorum is ashtanga Vimanam.

 The Divya kshetram -- PARAMAPADAM/ VAIKUNTAM is in the celestial world. The presiding deity is Paramapadanathan and  the Goddess is  periya piraattiyar. The sacred water is Viraja Nadhi and the sanctum sanctorum is Ananthanga Vimanam

(with this two  all the 108  divya kshetrams were covered under the label - DIVYA KSHETRAM.  to read about all of them , follow the link :  (https://bookfoodlanguage.blogspot.com/search/label/DIVYA%20KSHETRAM)

From Little Krishna to Life Lessons: When Cartoons Teach Children Values

   

 

 

Today, as we celebrate Krishna Ashtami, it is impossible not to think of Krishna as the little boy who was naughty, mischievous, playful and endlessly curious. The stories of Bal Krishna have been told for generations through grandparents, bedtime stories, songs, books, puppets and performances. Today, they have found a new home—the television and the digital screen.  And perhaps that is not such a bad thing.

Cartoons and children's television series have become an important part of childhood. While parents may sometimes worry about excessive screen time, there is another side to consider: what if the content itself becomes a learning experience?

Little Krishna—the naughty child who teaches without preaching

The animated series Little Krishna brought the familiar stories of young Krishna to an entirely new generation.  Here is a little boy who steals butter, plays pranks, troubles his mother, teases his friends and gets into all sorts of mischief. He is not presented as a distant, unreachable divine figure. He is a child whom children can relate to. That is perhaps the magic.

A child watching Krishna's adventures may laugh at his mischief first. But hidden within those stories are lessons about friendship, courage, compassion, honesty, responsibility, love and standing up against injustice.

The lesson doesn't arrive as:

"Children, today we are going to learn about honesty."

Instead, it arrives through a story.

And children remember stories much longer than lectures.

Cartoons can become today's storytellers

Earlier, grandparents and parents were often the storytellers. A child would sit beside them and listen to stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchatantra, Jataka tales and stories of Krishna.

Today, the storyteller may sometimes be a cartoon character on a television screen.

That doesn't necessarily diminish the value of the story.

A well-created children's series can introduce children to Indian mythology, folklore, history, culture and traditional wisdom in a language and visual format they understand.

The colourful characters, music, humour and adventures capture their attention. Once their attention is captured, the story can quietly introduce an idea.

Good wins over evil.
Kindness matters.
Friendship requires trust.
Courage means standing up for what is right.
Actions have consequences.
Helping others is valuable.

These are not lessons restricted to one religion or one culture. They are values that can help children navigate everyday life.

Mischief with a message

What makes Krishna particularly interesting for children is that he isn't portrayed as a perfectly obedient child.

He is mischievous!

He steals butter. He plays tricks. He argues. He runs away. He gets caught. He charms everyone around him.

And that makes him wonderfully human in a child's imagination.

There is an important message here too: being playful and curious is not the same as being bad.

Children need room to explore, question, laugh and make mistakes. At the same time, they need to understand boundaries, consequences and responsibility.

Krishna's stories offer plenty of opportunities for parents to start those conversations.

"Why did Krishna do that?"

"Was what he did right or wrong?"

"Why did he help his friends?"

"Why did he stand up to Kamsa?"

A cartoon can therefore become the beginning of a conversation, rather than merely entertainment.

From screen time to value time

Perhaps the real question is not:

"Are cartoons good or bad?"

The better question is:

"What are our children watching?"

There is a tremendous difference between passive screen consumption and meaningful children's programming.

A thoughtfully made series can encourage children to think about:

• right and wrong
• friendship and sharing
• empathy and kindness
• courage and confidence
• respect for elders
• caring for animals and nature
• taking responsibility for one's actions
• dealing with jealousy and anger
• standing up against injustice
• understanding that choices have consequences

The screen then becomes more than a source of entertainment. It becomes another medium of storytelling and learning.

Values are caught, not taught

Children rarely learn values because somebody tells them, "You must be good."

They learn by observing characters, situations and consequences.

When they see a character helping another person, showing courage or admitting a mistake, they begin to understand those qualities.

When they see selfishness, dishonesty or cruelty leading to consequences, they begin to recognise the other side.

This is where children's stories are powerful.

A story gives a value a face.
A cartoon gives the face a voice.
And a child gives the lesson a place in memory.

But parents still have an important role

A cartoon cannot replace parents, teachers, books or real-life experiences.

The best learning happens when screen, story and conversation come together.

After watching an episode, a parent can simply ask:

"What did you like about Krishna?"

"Would you have done the same thing?"

"What did Krishna teach his friends?"

Such simple questions can turn watching into thinking.

And perhaps that is the greatest gift parents can give children—not simply answers, but the habit of asking questions and forming their own principles.

Let children have their Little Krishna moment

Every generation discovers Krishna differently.

Our grandparents heard him through stories.
Our parents may have grown up with books, radio and television.
Today's children may meet him through animation and digital storytelling.

The medium changes.

The values need not.

On this Krishna Ashtami, perhaps we can celebrate the playful little Krishna who runs through our screens, steals butter and wins hearts—but also pause to notice the deeper lessons hidden behind his adventures.

Let children laugh at his mischief.

Let them enjoy his playfulness.

Let them ask questions.

And somewhere between the laughter, the music and the colourful animation, let them discover something more enduring:

A life needs values, principles, compassion and courage.

Because the real purpose of a children's story is not merely to create a child who knows the story.

It is to create a child who, one day, knows how to live by its values.

A Krishna Ashtami thought

Perhaps the little Krishna on the screen is not merely entertaining a child.

Perhaps he is quietly planting a question in that young mind—

"When I grow up, what kind of person do I want to be?"

And that may be one of the finest lessons any story can offer.