"Gurukul Diplomacy": Indian envoy to Austria reads Panchatantra stories to school children in Vienna
Vienna, July 2
Indian Ambassador to Austria Shambhu Kumaran on Wednesday read stories from Panchatantra to the school children in Vienna.
The Indian Embassy in Vienna, in a post on X, recognised the activity as "Gurukul Diplomacy".
"'Gurukul Diplomacy' Indian Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran @shambhukumaran reading stories from the Panchatantra to school children in Vienna," the Embassy wrote.
Furthermore, it highlighted the recently published German-language translation of the Panchatantra for Austrian school children.
"The Embassy had recently published a German-language translation of the Panchatantra for Austrian school children," it wrote.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran expressed pride over the activity, noting it as an opportunity to create a cultural bridge between India and Austria. He affirmed that the children connected promptly with the Panchatantra tales.
He further thanked Austrian cartoonist Klaus Pitter for vibrant illustrations in the book.
"Heart warming to see Austrian kids connecting so easily with the Panchatantra. Pleased to be part of this cultural bridge that connects continents and generations with a few colourful stories. Special thanks to Austrian cartoonist Klaus Pitter for his vibrant illustrations," he wrote in a post on X.
The Ambassador has been regularly reading the Panchatantra stories to kids across the nation.
Earlier in June, the Indian Embassy in Austria, in collaboration with the city of Vienna and the 'Bounce Back' project at local schools, introduced the next chapter of "Stories from the Panchatantra", a video podcast series by the renowned Austrian podcaster Thomas Brezina, who narrates timeless Panchatantra stories in German.
During the launch event, the Embassy noted that over fifty enthusiastic students from a Viennese school took part as Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran read selected stories and engaged in conversation with the children, who eagerly shared their favourite characters and the lessons from the stories.
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of interconnected animal fables and moral stories. They were designed to teach young princes the principles of wise conduct, leadership, and practical life.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"Gurukul Diplomacy" - love that phrase! Our ancient storytelling tradition is finding new audiences across the world. But I wonder, shouldn't we also focus on making Panchatantra more accessible to Indian children today? Many urban kids haven't even heard of these stories. Just a thought.
As an American living in Vienna, I can say this is exactly the kind of cultural diplomacy that makes a real difference. My kids came home excited about the monkey and the crocodile story. The German translation is a smart move - makes it accessible to local families. Great soft power play by India! 👏
Finally some positive news! This is what diplomacy should look like - building bridges through culture and wisdom. The Ambassador reading personally to children is just lovely. Our Panchatantra has so much to teach the world about leadership and ethics. Kudos to the team behind this! 🌟
Honestly, this is better than most of our government's foreign policy moves! 😅 Panchatantra is pure gold - these stories teach you about life without being preachy. Wish our own schools would bring this back into curriculum. Austria se seekho!
This is fascinating. I've lived in India for 3 years and Panchatantra is one of those things that makes Indian culture so rich. The fact that they published a German translation shows strategic thinking - making it easy for local teachers to incorporate these stories. Smart diplomacy!
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