My guide to India. Review on Amar Chitra Katha

The Year,1967- A man was watching a quiz program on TV. He saw that kids from English medium schools were able to answer questions on Greek Gods and Tarzan, but they could not name the mother of Lord Ram. It was then that he hit upon the idea of using comics to bring alive the wonderful culture and heritage of India to it’s readers.

The Man- Anant Pai

The Comic Series- Amar Chitra Katha

It started off with a story on Lord Krishna and soon started to publish stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata, two of India’s most loved epics. And it spread to great people of India, folk tales as well as stories based on Sanskrit classics. Initially printed in English & Hindi, they were translated into all major Indian languages. As well as foreign languages like French, German, Spanish and even Swahili.

As a kid, most of my reading used to be pretty western based, Tintin, Asterix and the like. Even books were also mostly by western authors. But if there is one thing that prevented me from totally forgetting my Indian roots and made me aware of the rich heritage of India, it was my Amar Chitra Katha comics. The way kids wait today for Harry Potter, we used to hang out for the latest edition of Amar Chitra Katha.

Anant Pai, I owe my gratitude to you, a million times over for not letting me forget my Indian roots, and becoming a rootless person, like our youngsters today. Why did ACK, become so popular? Well because it spoke to it’s viewers in a simple language, which they could understand. And more importantly it did not dumb down to reach the masses. The stories and histories were not changed to cater to lowest common denominator. ACK provides ample proof that if you can educate a reader without sounding too preachy.

ACK not only showcased India’s history, mythology and literature. It also bought to light an often neglected aspect of Indian culture, the folk tale. India has a rich tradition of folk tales passed down orally, and Amar Chitra Katha bought out these fascinating stories. From Orissa to Gujarat, from Kerala to Kanyakumari, from Assam to Maharashtra, ACK enthralled us with these wonderful tales. For me ACK, provided me more valuable knowledge on India, than those hazaar documentaries on Door darshan did.

So here are the various ways in which ACK bought out to me the wonderful diversity of India.

Ancient Indian History- If I became a history enthusiast and I still am, inspite of me being a techie, I need to thank ACK for that. Unlike the standard history books, which are a jumble of dates and facts, ACK, bought those stories to life. I marveled at Ajathashatru’s military skills but at the same time hated him for imprisoning his father Bimbisara. I witnessed Ashoka’s transformation from a blood thirsty monarch to a peaceful one. I applauded the courage of Baladitya and Yashodharma as they stood up against the Huns. And the way Chanakya outmaneuvered his enemies and helped Chandragupta establish his empire was admirable. Apart from great rulers like Harsha, Samudra Gupta and Vikramaditya we also learnt about heroes like Porus who stood up to Alexander’s might and Shalivahana who had an era named after him.

Biographies From social reformers like Ambedkar, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to revolutionaries like Veer Savarkar, Subash Chandra Bose and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. From freedom fighters like Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri to modern day Indians like G.D.Birla,Jayaprakash Narayan, J.R.D.Tata. We get to know the genius of Tagore and when Swami Vivekananda enthralls the audience at Parliament of Religions at Chicago with the words, “Brothers and Sisters of America”, I felt so honored to be an Indian.

Buddhist Tales -ACK did a wonderful job of covering all the Jataka tales, which primarily deal with the stories of Lord Buddha in his different births. These tales make you laugh, cry and regale you with their wit and humour. You have also famous Buddhist stories like Amrapali, Angulimala and Vasavadatta.

Folktales and Legends- I can never forget those wonderful tales of Birbal and Akbar as he wonderfully exposes the follies of the people around him. As also his southern counterpart Tenali Raman the court jester of Krishnadevaraya. Tales of Maryada Rama show to what extent justice was revered. And of course you have those wonderful tales from the Panchatantra . ACK showcased the vast diversity of India in its series of wonderful folk tales from various parts of India- Gujarat, Punjab, Assam, North East, Orissa, Maharashtra.

Makers of Modern India - Great reformers like Swami Dayananda and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who was instrumental in abolishing child marriage. Subramania Bharati the great Tamil poet and nationalist.Scientists like J.C.Bose.

Medieval Indian History- I learnt about all the Mughals from Babar to Shahjahan. I was swept away by the romance and valour of Rajputs like Amar Singh Rathore and Rana Pratap. ACK also covered some of the valiant queens like Razia Sultana, Rani Durgavati the Gond queen who stood up to Akbar, Chand Bibi. And it also focuses on great rulers from other parts of India like the Marathas and Cholas. And we have the fascinating story of the Maratha judge Ram Shastri.

Monuments and Cities- We have seen places like Elephanta, Ellora, Puri and Konark.ACK took us to the legends behind those places and enhanced our knowledge.