I grew up reading Amar Chitra Katha comics, and they’re still pretty big where I come from. Children are bought these books by parents who wish to cultivate a habit or reading in them, and they also serve as fantastic child-friendly sources that introduce them to their rich heritage.
Last week, there was this day I didn’t have any inclination to read something new, yet had the time. Out of sheer habit, I hankered to find something to read, and saw that these comics were available in kindle format. I may be late to that discovery, and I feel a bit sheepish about that, but I didn’t waste any time and just bought one to see how it would render on my kindle.
The Puranas are a vast corpus of ancient Hindu literature in verse that talks of a wide range of topics, from Sarga (universal creation) and Pralaya (universal destruction), to dynasties of rulers. All I can do is absorb them and try to understand the thought processes of the cerebral ancients who composed them. Vishnu’s dashĀvatĀra (ten primary incarnations) are one of the most well-known parts of these epics, including the well-known Rama and Krishna. These two avatĀras are a part of the itihĀsas (historical epics), but the other eight are as fascinating, even if not as popularly referenced, and this comic, in short, gives you the context and importance of them all in keeping creation balanced.
Rendition on my kindle is pretty good, but the script isn’t perfect. This is the first comic I’ve read on my kindle, and I’m very pleasantly surprised. As expected, some avatĀras enjoy greater pagelength than others, and I particulararly enjoyed the illustrations for the Samudra Manthana (the churning of the ocean by Devas and Asuras to obtain amruta, or nectar), an episode that doesn’t have enough iconography for my liking. It serves as a quick refresher, if you need it, but don’t take it for the actual Puranic story, ask questions and read more!
It’s a great place for those who want to familiarize themselves with the avatĀras, or to introduce their children to them. This is recommended as a bridge to get you curious and hungry for more.
This comic is published by Amar Chitra Katha. Script by Kamala Chandrakant, illustrated by Pratap Mulick, and edited by Anant Pai
LINKS
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