Most of you are aware that India celebrates Hindi Diwas on the 14th of September. It commemorates the day after Independence when the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as India’s official language. People across the country and abroad celebrate the 14th of September as an occasion to honor the Hindi language and its cultural heritage.

The Hindi language is still alive and thriving today with numerous writers, poets, and storytellers. Poetry is all about the spoken word and the way it can pack a lot of impacts. There are many reasons why people frequent YouTube, and for some, it is the simple pleasure of discovering amazing spoken word and poetry performances to enjoy.

Storytelling sounds simple – we all tell stories all the time, but telling a meaningful and engaging story is a lot more difficult. In honor of Hindi Diwas 2021, we have highlighted some YouTube channels that offer the best Hindi poetry readings and storytelling. Make sure you check them out and let the joy of storytelling take you to another world.

UnErase Poetry  

Poet Simar Singh founded UnErase Poetry in 2016 to promote and produce spoken word poetry in Hindi and English. It was founded as a means of reaching out to a wider audience. The number of listeners has increased significantly since their first clips were uploaded to the YouTube channel. Stunning and evocative poetry delivers a bold and candid performance that must not be missed. Every video on this channel is honest, hard-hitting, and thought-provoking.

The Social House

Established in Oct 2017, the Social House is still listed in Top Hits today. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative to support emerging artists. It is an “Open platform” for writers, poets, singers, musicians, photographers, actors, and others to showcase their talent and share their passion for art and culture. The Storytelling or Chai (‘Event’) at The Social House (‘Venue’), is a flagship weekly event held every Saturday and Sunday. Their mission is to give every talent a voice.

Kommune India

A renowned performance arts forum in India, Kommune India takes it a step further to bring you some of the best storytelling and poetry in the country. A dynamic mix of storytellers and poets can be found on their YouTube channel, revealing a tiny part of their souls to the camera. Audiences are instantly captivated by their stories. When you browse their videos and others, you will feel at ease. Their aim is to provide a place where poets, writers, and readers can explore identity, diversity, and empowerment. 

Tape A tale

Many of us are familiar with Tape a Tale since it is one of the largest archives of storytellers from across India. It is a popular YouTube channel that aims to create a communal space for people to share their stories. It hosts an event called “Kahaaniya” where anybody can share their personal stories. They upload the best ones to their channel. You can watch talented poets and storytellers here covering plenty of topics and genres. 

These 4 poetry channels on YouTube are a must-follow if you’re a fan of storytelling or just getting started. If you would like to help someone who is contemplating suicide or support someone going through a rough time, you can check out the blog Ways to help people in mental distress.