Amar Chitra Katha: How it Preserves India's Heritage

chillibreeze writer — Jaideep Bhattacharjee

Last week, I happened to visit a book store and while searching for the books on my must-read list, I suddenly saw a heap of comics at a corner. It didn’t even look like new editions but a certain curiosity led me to it and on the top I saw an old edition of Amar Chitra Katha. I think the story was “Rana Paratap”. I just couldn’t help picking it up and wavering through the pages.

While going through the comic, I could find myself going back to my childhood when reading “Amar Chitra Katha” formed a quintessential part of my daily appetite. How the pages with colorful pictures and simple writing kept me engaged for hours on end. I could recall how I was the official narrator of Indian mythological and historical tales during family gatherings, thanks to Amar Chitra Katha.

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At the store, I ended up read at least three or four stories and, needless to say, I bought many more to take home with me. This also set a train of thought in my mind with effect to the contribution of “ACK” towards building the foundation of moral values and preservation of our heritage amongst the GenX.

How enlightened are today’s youngsters about our heritage? What is their source of entertainment and indulgence? They are a generation that is hooked on to the social media and gadgets. Their entertainment starts with the X-Box and ends with the iPod or iPhone. Even if we forget the presence of “ACK” for a second, do these children actually have time to listen to look up literature revolving around India’s glorious past?

A conscious effort needs to be made to rejuvenate the desire for knowing our past. It needs to start with the parents and perhaps the schools. Today’s parents are yesterday’s children and definitely everyone has read “ACK” during their formative years and have imbibed a lot from it. So what is stopping them from encouraging their children to read “ACK”?

Reading rich and well-narrated texts such as “ACK” has two distinct advantages - one, children will get to know about the past; and two, it will develop a reading habit among the children. Schools too can start making “ACK” a part of curriculum and start using them as case studies for the children.

Amar Chitra Katha is a rich and vivacious embodiment of India’s history, heritage, and culture. It is a must-read because it is visually appealing and tells it tales in a simple manner. Each photograph in itself narrates the story. The best part about Amar Chitra Katha is the range of its stories. It has covered almost every aspect of India’s glorious past, from mythological and historical figures to spiritual gurus and even India’s struggle for Independence. Amar Chitra Katha has always left a distinct mark on the reader’s mind and the stories have made us proud of what was. It has made us learn the values of bravery, honesty, and righteousness.

In an age where computers, iPods, and smartphones have got the better of our life and we are constantly chasing ever-growing needs, it becomes all the more crucial to acknowledge our roots. We have seen other cultures such as the Chinese who are extremely proud of their heritage. What stops us from doing the same?

Only with a foundation firmly imbibed with the values form our past, can we dream of ever becoming strong in the future. A today’s strong nation is always richly soaked in learning from its yesterday. Amar Chitra Katha is the common man’s guide to knowing our extraordinary past.

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in May, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Jaideep Bhattacharjee has work experience of 10 years in rural & social communication, IT marketing and media marketing. He has an MBA in Rural Marketing. He is currently working in Diligent Media Corporation Ltd., which owns the newspaper called DNA, as a Brand Manager. He has an avid interest in writing on current topics, travel, children articles, article writing on rural marketing. He is presently living in Bangalore.

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