Childhood Revisited Through Amar Chitra Katha

Reading a comic collection was always my passion when I was a child. I still remember those days when we used to visit our grandparents during our vacations. Those trips to the railway station were really filled with joy; not because we were going for a vacation but because I would get the chance of purchasing a couple of my favorite comics. And if my papa was in a liberal mood, then I would often get to treat myself with more than two books. I would be the first one to open it and read.

Amar Chitra Katha my favorite comic series have always helped me to keep my imagination alive like a child and visit the fantasy world. Amar Chitra Katha is one of India’s largest selling comic books with more than 90 million copies sold. Available in 20 different Indian languages, it was created by Anant Pai, whom we all love to call Uncle Pai, and is published by India Book house. The book basically tells stories from great Indian epics, history, mythology, folklore and fables in the form of comics.

As an avid reader, I used to go to the local book store regularly to get the latest copy every month and then exchange it with my best friend. The magic of the book is so strong that the pleasant memories still hold a positive impression in my mind. My knowledge of the Hindu mythology, various spiritual Gurus, Mahatma Gandhi, Akbar Birbal, Prithviraj Chauhan, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar can be easily dedicated to this famous comic series. In fact, even today, I surprise some of my friends with various reasons behind the Hindu ritual or festival or even the meaning of their name. My knowledge never fails to bring a chuckle!

As a child, I was lucky enough to visit the fantasy world frequently and learn the rich cultural heritage of India. These books helped me to develop a fertile thought process and admiration of the Indian culture. The result was fabulous and I admit that these comic books helped to develop a practice of reading whenever I had time. It not only imbibed values in me, but learning was also great fun.

But I wonder, are today’s children that lucky? Are they aware of the immense pleasure of reading Amar Chitra Katha? I am pretty sure that the world for them has moved on. Instead of comics for gifts, children now ask for video games, a movie or a pizza parlor….. This is a great pity. But why blame them? Perhaps the advent of mobile or video games or various forms of cartoons have taken the place of educational books like Amar Chirta Katha. But it is interesting to note that Amar Chitra Katha has also modernized. It is now available on online store and can be easily purchased from home.

So, why waste any more time… ensure that a copy of this wonderful series lands in the hands of your kids too, and let them enjoy the enchanting world of mythology and Indian history.