Teachers’ Day 2026: 6 stories to celebrate some of India’s greatest teachers

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Every September 5, India celebrates Teachers’ Day to showcase our respect for the people who teach us, a tradition that began with one teacher’s modest request. When Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s students wanted to celebrate his birthday, the philosopher and former President suggested that the day instead be observed as a day to celebrate teachers, turning a personal occasion into a tribute to those who devote their lives to helping others learn.

But some of the most lasting lessons do not come from a classroom. They come from people who teach us to dream beyond our circumstances, question what we believe, find purpose in our lives, and remain curious about the world around us.

While there are many books that you can read for this Teachers’ Day, Audible brings together six audiobooks featuring some of India’s most influential educators, thinkers and mentors, each offering a different perspective on ambition, purpose, resilience and life.

The Guiding Light

Perhaps the most revealing way to understand a teacher is to discover who taught them. In ‘The Guiding Light’, narrated by Sam Dastor, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam selects passages from the books, religious texts, philosophy and poetry that influenced his own thinking. The collection spans figures as diverse as Rabindranath Tagore, Albert Einstein, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jiddu Krishnamurti, William Shakespeare and Mahatma Gandhi, alongside works including the Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Thirukural. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the intellectual influences behind a man who inspired millions.

Youth and Truth

It is not only the story of APJ Abdul Kalam but also ‘Youth and Truth’, written and narrated by Sadhguru, brings together his responses to questions that Audible describes as quirky, personal, profound and boldly direct. The result is less a conventional lecture and more an open exchange of ideas, making it an engaging listen for anyone who likes their lessons to begin with a difficult question rather than a neat answer.

Life’s Amazing Secrets

Gaur Gopal Das begins Life’s Amazing Secrets in perhaps the least classroom-like setting imaginable: Mumbai traffic. During a conversation with his wealthy young friend Harry, he explores everything from the human condition and personal purpose to lasting happiness, relationships, work and giving back. Narrated by Das himself, the audiobook turns an ordinary journey into a larger conversation about building a meaningful and balanced life.

Wise & Otherwise: 51 Stories

Some of the best teachers never call themselves teachers. In Wise & Otherwise, Sudha Murty draws on 51 stories inspired by her extensive travels across India, using encounters with people from different backgrounds to explore human nature, values and the assumptions we make about others. Narrated by Dipti Singh, the audiobook shows how even brief encounters can leave behind lessons that stay with us.

Musafir

Achyut Godbole’s Musafir is an autobiographical journey through a life that crosses multiple worlds, from a middle-class upbringing to technology and software and later social work. The Marathi audiobook, narrated by Manoj Acharya, is especially suited to the theme of lifelong learning because Godbole’s story is one of continually exploring new fields rather than remaining confined to a single definition of success.

Bharatiya Genius C.V. Raman

Bharatiya Genius C.V. Raman, written by Deepa Deshmukh and Achyut Godbole and narrated by Prabhakar Wartak, explores the life of one of India’s pioneering scientists. From Raman’s early years and education to his academic career, the Marathi audiobook offers a closer look at the mind behind a remarkable scientific legacy, and at the curiosity and dedication that can turn a question into discovery.

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