Over the past several decades, this English-language comic book series has been wildly popular with the middle classes in India and with the global Indian diaspora.

To date, the comic book series entails over 440 titles and has sold more than 100 million issues. In the 1970s, historical Indian figures were added into the mix, including medieval warrior kings such as Shivaji and Akbar and modern freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi. Its first heroes were Hindu gods and goddesses including Krishna, Rama, and Durga, whose stories were drawn from classical Hindu mythology. Founded by Anant Pai in 1967, it is also an important cultural institution that has helped to define, for several generations of readers, what it means to be Hindu and Indian. Every Village And Town In The Hindi Heartland Has A Troupe That Enacts The Story Of Rama Based On Tulsida'S Work.Amar Chitra Katha is India’s first and most beloved comic book series.

The Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas Version Of The Ramayana In Awadhi, A Dialect Of Hindi, Consists Of Over 1,0000 Stanzas Of About 12 To 18 Lines Each. A Contemporary Of Shakespeare, Tulsidas (1532-1623) Was Known For Singing The Glory Of Rama, The Prince Of Ayodhya. The Story As Narrated In This Book Is Mostly Based On Legends. But Ratna Rebuked Him And Said, 'Had You Loved Rama As Intensely As You Do This Bundle Of Flesh And Bones, You Would Have Overcome All Mortal Fears.' This Was The Turning Point In His Life. One Day Not Finding Her At Home On His Return, He Became Extremely Restless And Rushed To His Father-In-Law'S House In The Dead Of The Night, Braving Heavy Rains And A Storm. She Was The First Person In His Life Whom He Could Call His Own. When He Was Married, He Became Deeply Attached To His Wife, Ratna. He Was Orphaned Soon After His Birth And Even His Foster-Mother Died When He Was Barely Seven Years Old. Tulsidas Hailed From A Poor Family Of Rajapur In Uttar Pradesh. His Works And Teachings Stressed The Importance Of The Life Of A Householder And Weaned People Away From The Tantric Cults. He Worshipped Not Only At The Temples Dedicated To Rama But Also At Those Dedicated To Krishna. He Made His Rama Say That He Would Not Tolerate Anyone Who Showed Disrespect To Shiva. It Is To The Credit Of Tulsidas That He Tried To Weave All These Cults Into An Integrated Whole.

There Were Also Cults Which Were Almost Cut Off From The Mainstream Of Indian Life. Amongst The Hindus, There Were Frequent Controversies Between The Worshippers Of Shiva, Vishnu And The Mother Goddess, And Again Between The Worshippers Of Rama And Krishna. It Was Written At A Time When A Very Vast Area Of India Was Under Mughal Rule. But His 'Ramcharit-Manas' Differs From The Original In Many Ways. Tulsidas Rendered It Into Hindi In The Sixteenth Century. The Ramayana, Written In Sanskrit By Valmiki Is Considered To Be The 'Adikavya', The First Ever Poem.

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