India is a land of countless legends and stories. Some of them have survived the onslaught of time and remained alive over the centuries. One such story is that of Harischandra, the king famously known for his unmatched honesty.

The stor as it came down to us has many variations from the original narration in the Markandeya Purana. Folk singers, dramatists and poets who handled this story have added several incidents and characters to it – for greater effect. It is worth mentioning that Gandhiji who wrote the famous My experiments with Truth was greatly inspired by a dramatic representation of this story, which he had seen in his boyhood.

This story tells us of a king, who encounters forces immensely more powerful than him with an unflinching faith in integrity.