My moorings lie in the Indian culture and tradition supplemented by a valued ‘value system’. The understanding & shaping came, largely, from two sources.
Two: Amar Chitra Katha
Amar Chitra Katha helped me understand visually many an epic & more importantly life at a different time. Mahabharath. Ramayan. Dr.Kotnis. The Freedom Struggle. Akbar. Aurangzeb. The 
I still remember running to the library at school and “search & savour” or “borrow savour many times over” the latest of additions. Many years later, these were beamed into living rooms as soap operas. Ramayan, Mahabharath although were never missed, they were let downs for me.
Arun Govil, who played Ram in the TV serial, was hardly the Ram that I had imagined, aided by the caricature of Ram, courtesy : Amar Chitra Katha ! So was the bloke who played Lord Krishna. I just couldn’t connect to the on screen
Years passed. I graduated from wearing half to full trousers to school. And graduated to books like Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nany Drew, Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc. And adolescence brought other authors and adult hood brought others !
But, even now, the temptation to pick up a Amar Chitra Katha is just irresistible. I buy the odd book at railway stations and airports. It is part nostalgic. Part interesting. But fully connecting ! Cant say the same of the books that I graduated to!
This was an interesting news that I chanced upon. For a moment I pictured me and school bag. Running to the library.
I picked Hakuna Matata for Sight & Sound. Closest that came to Amar Chitra Katha
7 responses
I also remember the days of Nandan, champak, Billu and Pinki and Chacha Chowdary digest ….
I miss those days of taking all these comics on rent for 50 paisa and 1 rupee for the digest….
And now i am reading all these with Siddhrath and my nephew’s in a new meaning and new way…..
http://www.amarchitrakatha.com
Hi Kavi
Check the above site..all editions are available
Try this site too
http://www.thecomicproject.blogspot.com/
Mukunth
This is one temptation thats all too familiar!!
😀
ohhh…those were the days!! i remember shivering with anticipation on which new ACK my parents would get me.
“And graduated to books like Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nany Drew, Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc.”
hmmm… bole to … didn’t realize that ms. drew is that old! 😉
btw, that is similar to the order of progression i (and i am sure, most desis) followed too.
– s.b.
Swatantra: The 50 ps rentals ! Wish we could get them back..!!
Mukunth: Welcome here ! And thanks for sharing !
Velu: like i said..simply irresistable !
Sunshine: Yes ! The shivering anticipation ! What a nostalgic shiver that one !
sb: I suspect Ms.Drew was not that old too…but then, the reading habit was old enough i guess 🙂 ! A common order isnt it !
Even though my reading habits changed with age…even today the sight of ACK brings back childhood memories!