Best research-based books on Amar Chitra Katha (ACK)

 If you're looking for the best research-based book on the publication history of Amar Chitra Katha (ACK)—the legendary Indian comic book series—there's one stand-out work that delves deeply into its history, cultural impact, & production dynamics. Recommended Resources are:

I. India’s Immortal Comic Books: Gods, Kings, and Other Heroes

Author: Karline McLain

Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2009

Mann ki Baat (Vol 1 to 12)

 

Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) Pvt. Ltd. has launched a series of 12 comic books on the themes and stories covered in the Mann Ki Baat. The first comic book was released on 30th April 2023 in honour of the 100th edition of Mann Ki Baat. In the first book, there are nine stories covering different walks of life from different parts of the country. A set of adorable fictional characters will be constant across this series of 12 books.

Update 31 March 2024 : 

1. Except vol 10, rest  are available in several Indian languages: Hindi (हिन्दी), Marathi (मराठी), Bengali (বাংলা), Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ), Telugu (తెలుగు), Tamil (தமிழ்), Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ), Gujarati (ગુજરાતી), Malayalam (മലയാളം), Urdu (اردو), Odia (ଓଡିଆ) and Assamese (অসমীয়া)
2. Vol 10 is available in English only

Download (from government of India site)

Note: “Free copies of the comic books would be distributed in CBSE and Central Board schools. The publishers, however, are free to sell the books in open market,” Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan said. 

Disclaimer: These are official links of copyrights owner. All credits go to Government of India!

The Tata Story (1868 -2018)

In 1868, Jamsetji Tata, a visionary of his time, lit the flame that went on to become Tata and its group of companies. This business grew into an extraordinary one. One that some may even call ‘the greatest company in the world’. Over the decades, the business expanded and prospered under the leadership of the various keepers of the flame, such as Sir Dorabji Tata, J.R.D. Tata and Ratan Tata. 

Now the Tata group is a global enterprise, headquartered in India, comprising 30 companies across 10 verticals. The group operates in more than 100 countries across six continents.

Total Revenue: $110.7 billion ( Rs 8,03,000 Cr)

Total Employees: Over 7,00,000

Combined Market Cap: $145.3 billion (Rs 10,58,500 Cr)

Tata Owner: Tata Sons

Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Sixty-six percent of the equity share capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts, which support education, health, livelihood generation, and art and culture.

The Tata Story 150 Years (1868-2018) journey of the Tata group in two format FREE. The illustrated classic is produced by Amar Chitra Katha, and available in a PDF and a Kindle format:

Download PDF

Download Kindle Format [.mobi]

As an individual other Indian might be richer, but in turnover as a group of companies TATA group is miles ahead of others. 

Disclaimer: These are official links of copyrights owner. All credits go to Tata!

The Naval Journey of India (all 3 parts) and some more books by Indian Navy

Indian Navy (made by ACK) has released three-book series that takes a deep and detailed look at India's Naval History and a deep insight into the lives of Indian Navy men and women in white. 

The Naval Journey of India Book I: Millennia of Sea Travels

Any series on the Indian Navy has to start at the very beginning - exploring India's celebrated maritime history.

Download Part 1

The Naval Journey of India Book II: Tacking to the Blue Waters 

Tacking to the Blue Waters is a comprehensive history of the Indian Navy since Independence. It follows the journey of a small Navy with big dreams in 1947 to the multi-dimensional force the Indian Navy is today. It looks at all the action, the growth and the glory of the Indian Navy as they navigate through the wars the Navy fought, the roles they play and the Navy built.

Download Part 2

The Naval Journey of India Book III: Tales of Glory

Download Part 3 

(This part is not available in ACK app/site)

Can collect 9 more books by Indian Navy : HERE

Disclaimer: All information used here under fair use policy, not for personal gain including any monetary. All links shared in this post are direct links of Indian Navy (the copyrights owner). 

If still anyone has objection, can file cases against Indian Navy. At it order ACK mefia had made it, copyrights owner Indian Navy is distributing digital (and some printed) copies FREE. 

According to my understanding of copyrights LAW, anyone (including ACK media) is selling these digital illegally. 

Anant Pai - the Father of Amar Chitra Katha

Hello Friends, 
Posting after a long long time. Glad to see Amar Chitra Katha has not only survived but expanding. Buy original copies and support the best Indian Comics.

Alok Sharma jee has send a wonderful material from Reader's Digest (Aug 1988) about Anant Pai (17 September 1929 – 24 February 2011) with autograph of the father of Indian Comics.

Very truly written in this article, the unconditional love for Amar Chitra Katha helped me to understand Indian history, the mythology and folk tales more than any other book. Although being a science subjects lover (with commerce as extra subject), always got excellent marks in the history also - thanks to ACK.

Amar Chitra Katha creator UNCLE PAI(Anant Pai) dead at 81.

Amar Chitra Katha creator UNCLE PAI(Anant Pai) dead at 81.

Anant Pai, better known as Uncle Pai, creator of Amar Chitra Katha  and Tinkle comics has died at the age of 81.

Amar Chitra Katha has shown millions of Indians the route to their roots. Tinkle has been the childhood companion of many for over two and half decades. In 1967, the educational comics series Amar Chitra Katha was launched. Each of the comics in this series was devoted to a person or event in Indian history, religion and mythology. Anant Pai conceptualized of all of these, and wrote the scenarios for most of them.

Anant Pai (17 Sep 1929 - 24 Feb 2011) 

चन्द्रशेखर आजाद

आज भारतवर्ष की स्वाधीनता दिवस पर पेश है: एक महान :देशभक्त और  क्रांतिकारी की जीवनी, जिसने कभी आज़ाद भारत का सपना देखा था और अपनी नज़रिए से उसको पाने के अपना जीवन निव्छावर कर दिया|

 एक युवा जिसने अपने जीवन में २५ वसंत भी  नहीं देखे हों, जिसका नाम भगत सिंह जैसे भारतीय स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के अत्यंत सम्मानित और लोकप्रिय क्रांतिकारी स्वतंत्रता सेनानी  के साथ जब आज भी लिया जाता हो, जिसके शहीद होने पे महात्मा गाँधी, जवाहर लाल नेहरु, मदन मोहन मालवीय, मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना जैसे दिगज नेता  उसके सम्मान में कहने को मजबूर हो गए हों,  "चन्द्रशेखर सीताराम तिवारी" उर्फ़ "चन्द्रशेखर आजाद"  के अलावें और कौन हो सकता है|

At the eve of 64th Independence Day of India

 Hello friends, From now only sometimes the posts will contain  download link(s), NOT ALWAYS. The primary goal of this blog was/is  informative materials only. Hoping you'll understand and support as earlier.


While searching materials about next post (coming tonight) found a nice massage & some rare pictures. 

India Independence Day Greetings
Thousands laid down their lives so
that our country is breathing this day
Never forget their sacrifice.
Happy Independence Day !!!


Independence a Precious gift of God.
May We Always Remain Independent
A Very Happy Independence Day To You.


Frredom in the Mind,
Faith in the words..
Pride in our Souls..
Lets salute the Nation ..our Inependence Day!
Vande Mataram.

Partition of India


It was one of the worst movements of people in recent history after that of the Jews in the World War II. A nation was dismembered. On August 15, 1947 – India kept her ‘tryst with destiny’. Midnight bore her the precious gift of freedom. Following an announcement on August 17, 1947 Pakistan became the other independent state.

ACK-123: Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II)

Chandragupta II (A.D. 380-413/15), also referred as Vikramaditya (Valour/Power of Sun) or Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was one of the most influential emperors of the Gupta dynasty as well as one of the most familiar and celebrated names in Indian history. He was the son of Samudra Gupta & Maharani (the chief queen) “Datta Devi” and grandson of Chandra Gupta I. During his reign, art, architecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural development of ancient India reached its peak. The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the "Golden Age" of India.

Biography

ACK-119: Syamantaka Mani

ACK #81 (591)

The story of the Syamantaka Gem is available in the Puranas such as the Bhagavata and the Vishnu. It shows how powerful of the curse Ganesha is.

(This story is related on the fourth day of the bright half of the lunar month, Bhadrapada, the sixth month of the Indian Calendar. Lord Krishna observed this fast to redeem himself from the stigma of telling a lie. )

In good old days, Lord Krishna built a beautiful city named Dwarka amidst the sea. There lived a man named Ugra who had two sons. Their names were Satrajit and Prasenjit (Prasena).

Briefly, Satrajit worshipped the Sun god for a long time. The god was pleased with him & gifted Syamantaka Gem. The God disappeared after gifting him the gem. Satrajit put the gem around his neck. When he entered Dwarka, everybody was surprised to see the heavenly gift. It was dazzling like sun. This gem produced gold eight times of its weight when needed. Satrajit did not part with it with king Ugrasen even when Krishna asked for it saying it would be safe with Him. Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan (Jambavanta) of Ramayana fame killed the lion and gave it to his son to play with.

ACK- 118: Tapati - The Daughter of the Sun God

An out of print ACK # 327

The sources of this story are the Purana & the Mahabharata. The period is considered as Treta Yuga according to old Indian literature & mythology - PBC.

In India, as elsewhere, the folk of the spirit world might woo or be wooed by impressionable mortals. A Gandharva related to Arjuna, the Pandava prince, by whom he was defeated in single combat, the "charming story", as he called it, of King Samvarana (the Lunar Dynasty) and the fairy-like Tapati, a daughter of the sun god, Surya.

Tapati was of all nymphs the most beautiful; she was "perfectly symmetrical" and "exquisitely attired"; she had "faultless features, and black, large eyes"; and, in contrast to an Apsara, she "was chaste and exceedingly well conducted". For a time the sun god considered that no husband could be found who was worthy of his daughter; and therefore "knew no peace of mind, always thinking of the person he should select". One day, however, King Samvarana worshipped the sun, and made offerings of flowers and sweet perfumes, and Surya resolved to bestow his daughter upon this ideal man.

ACK- 117: Kumanan-The Generous Tamil King of the Sangam Age

An out of print ACK #280

This Amar Chitra Katha is about a generous king of the ‘Sangam Age’. I was unable to find any details about Kumanan, but as came to know about Sangam Age, felt proud to be an Indian. It was a discovery for me.

The ‘Sangam Age’ is the earliest known period of organized life and history of the Tamils. Though there are some disputes about the exact dates, but roughly it goes back to the period of pre-Aryan and non-Aryan. During this period the first, second and third Sangams flourished and Tamil poets of that era produced several literary works. The Tamil poets throw considerable light on the everyday life and also reveal their culture, polity and social set-up. In the Sangam age Tamil Nadu was ruled by three kingdoms namely the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas. The Sangam Age is considered the Golden Age of Tamils.

The Sangam period

ACK-114,115 & 116: Great Sanskrit Plays:Ratnavali, Vasantasena & Udayana

Today in some states of India people are celebrating New Year as Ugadi & Gudi Padwa . It falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March-April).

Ugadi, as called in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra indicates the start of a new year for people in those states.
Ugadi is derived from ‘Yuga adi’ where ‘yuga’ means time, era or period and ‘adi’ means beginning. Gudi in marathi is a Bamboo stick which is decorated and at the top of which a cup or a glass is placed and Padwa means the ‘adi’ described earlier.
Note: It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April).

Plays of Ancient India

Indian drama is analyzed by Bharata in the Natya Shastra, probably from the third century CE or before. Bharata ascribed a divine origin to drama and considered it a fifth Veda; its origin seems to be from religious dancing. In the classical plays the Brahmins and noble characters speak Sanskrit, while others and most women use Prakrit vernaculars. According to Bharata poetry (kavya), dance (nritta), and mime (nritya) in life's play (lila) produce emotion (bhava), but only drama (natya) produces "flavor" (rasa). The drama uses the eight basic emotions of love, joy (humor), anger, sadness, pride, fear, aversion, and wonder, attempting to resolve them in the ninth holistic feeling of peace. These are modified by 33 less stable sentiments he listed as discouragement, weakness, apprehension, weariness, contentment, stupor, elation, depression, cruelty, anxiety, fright, envy, arrogance, indignation, recollection, death, intoxication, dreaming, sleeping, awakening, shame, demonic possession, distraction, assurance, indolence, agitation, deliberation, dissimulation, sickness, insanity, despair, impatience, and inconstancy. Causes, effects, and moods manifest the emotions. The spectators should be of good character, intelligent, and empathetic.

ACK-113: Drona

The epic Mahabharta is the source of information about life of Drona. The Mahabharta which is the longest epic poem in the world, consists of nearly 1, 00,000 slokas or Sanskrit verses.

ACK #57 (565)

DRONA. 'A bucket'. A Brahman so named from his having been generated by his father, Bharadwaja, in a bucket.

He married Kripa, half-sister of Bhishma, and by her was father of Aswatthaman. He was acharya, or teacher of the military art, both to the Kaurava and Pandava princes, and so he was called Dronacharya.

He had been slighted by Drupada, king of Panchala, and became his enemy. Through the instrumentality of the Pandavas he made Drupada prisoner, and took from him half of his kingdom; but he spared his life and gave him back the other half of his country. But the old animosity rankled, and ended in the death of both.

ACK-112: Dhruva and Ashtavakra

ACK #117 (#571)

It contains illustration of two stories: Dhruva & Ashtavakra

Dhruva: meaning both "pole star" and "fixed".

The story of Dhruva's life is often told to Hindu children as an example for perseverance, devotion, steadfastness and fearlessness. The original sources are Vishnu Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 4.

According to the Vishnu Purana, the sons of Manu Swayambhuva were Priyavrata and Uttanapada. The latter had two wives; the favourite, Suruchi, was proud and haughty; the second, Suniti or Sunrita, was humble and gentle. Suruchi had a son named Uttama, and Suniti gave birth to Dhruva. While quite a child Dhruva was contemptuously treated by Suruchi, and she told him that her own son Uttama would alone succeed to the throne. Dhruva and his mother submitted, and he declared that he wished for no other honours than such as his own actions should acquire. He was a Kshatriya, but he joined a society of Rishis, and becoming a Rishi himself, he went through a rigid course of austerities, notwithstanding the efforts of Indra to distract him. At the end he obtained the favour of Vishnu, who raised him to the skies as the pole star (DHRUVA, the Indian name of the polar star). He has the patronymic Auttanapadi, and he is called Grahadhara, `the stay or pivot of the planets.'

ACK-111: Rajbala

An out of print ACK # 328

This ACK is based on "two folktales from old Sind" (now in Pakistan):

1. Rajbala (and Ajit Singh)

2. Bir Singh and Sunderbai

Rajbala & Sunderbai both dress as a male warrior.

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing Amar Chitra Katha.

ACK-110: Pulakeshi II

An out of print ACK # 394

Pulakeshi II

Pulakeshi II (610-42) is not the most glamorous of Kannada heroes. In comparison to other Kannada emperors such as Krishnadevaraya and Amoghavarsha or even Hoysala Vishnuvardhana and Ranadhira Kanthirava of Mysore, Pulakeshi hasn’t captured the attention of Kannadigas to the same extent. If Mayura was the founder of the first Kannada dynasty (Kadambas), then in the 7^th century, Pulakeshi established the first pan-Indian Kannada kingdom; Pulakeshi II and Chalukyas were the first Kannada family to establish their control beyond their core area of northern Kannada speaking regions, effectively into all the south Indian regions, south of the Vindhyas. His success in stopping Harsha, the celebrated emperor of north India, on the banks of Narmada adds to his legend as a great Kannada hero. Yet, possibly because of the absence of popular legends and folk narratives, Pulakeshi doesn’t hold the same romantic appeal, as is the case with Mayura. His association with Kannada nationalism too seems to be contrived and forced.

ACK-109: Guru Ravidas

An out of print ACK #350

Indian religious leader and founder Satguru of the "Ravidasi" beliefs, revered by most Hindus as a "Sant"; by Nirankari sect, Balmiki sect as a "Guru", by Radhasoami organization as a "Sant" and as a "Bhagat" by Sikhs, which is a somewhat lesser station than that attributed to him in other faiths. He is referred to as Guru Ravidas by followers of his beliefs.

ACK-108: The Nawab's Diwan and Other Tamil Tales

An out of print ACK # 368

If you like can post summary.

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for this rare ACK.

ACK-107: Vidyut Chora

An out of print ACK # 330

Vaddaradhane by Shivakotiacharya is the earliest extant prose work in Kannada. It is a didactic work consisting of nineteen stories and is based on Harisena's bruhat hari katha kosha. It gives a detailed description of the life of Bhadrabahu of Shravanabelagola. The work is dated to the 9th century but some scholars advance a pre-sixth century date for the work. Based on internal evidence, it is suggested that Shivakotiacharya may have been a native of Kogali, in the Bellary district of modern Karnataka.
The list of 19 stories are