Archives: history

Every year, on 17th September, we celebrate the birthday of our founder Anant Pai, our beloved Uncle Pai, on what we call Uncle Pai Day! Here’s a quick snapshot of how he came to start Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle over half a century ago.

Anant Pai was born on September 17th, 1929, in a small village in Karnataka called Karkala. Throughout his life, Mr Pai was a diligent student. He would score brilliant marks everywhere. Despite not knowing how to speak in English, Anant and his sister, Savita got admission in Orient High School in Mumbai’s Mahim area. After he finished his schooling, he got admission in Wilson College, Mumbai. Later, he went on to study Chemical Engineering at the University Department of Chemical Technology. 

The origins of Amar Chitra Katha

Eventually, Anant Pai started working at Times of India where he was asked to do a market survey for reprints of American comics. That’s when he suggested to his boss if the newspaper can print comics based on Indian mythology or history. However, his request was denied. But the idea never left his mind.

One day, when Anant Pai and his wife were visiting Delhi, they came across a TV shop that was broadcasting a quiz show. He was an avid reader and tried to learn from wherever he could. As he watched the programme, he noticed that the participants knew more about Greek mythology than they knew about Indian mythology. From that day onwards, Anant Pai decided to resign from his job and create comic books on Indian historical and mythological figures. 

He spent days thinking of a name that best represented the company’s essence and something that would connect with Indians in every corner of the country. That’s when he came up with the name Amar Chitra Katha. Amar means eternal and Chitra Katha means comic books. It was a simple yet effective name that is now synonymous with Indian comics. In February 1970, the first-ever Amar Chitra Katha title, Krishna, was printed and ready for sale. The rest is history. 

The Partha Movement

One day, Anant Pai was called by the principal of a school. There, he noticed a child being rejected admission due to the unavailability of seats. The thought of a child going through such a disheartening rejection made Mr Pai come up with a movement for children to boost their self-confidence. It was called the Partha movement. Mr Pai formed Partha Clubs of Personality in different parts of the country. There, they taught children how to believe in themselves, and set realistic goals and work towards them. He even went on to write several books on the very same topic.

Did you know?

There’s another popular club associated with Amar Chitra Katha. It’s called the Anu Club, which takes you on a journey into the wonderful world of science. Anu Club was originally a comic series that used to appear in the pages of Tinkle. Then, in 2019, it was relaunched in a new video avatar on Tinkle’s YouTube channel. Watch all episodes of Anu Club by clicking here! 

Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star

Amar Chitra Katha’s popularity was soaring through the roof, and kids couldn’t get enough of it. It came to a point where kids were demanding a weekly magazine. Uncle Pai and his team had to find a solution, and that solution was a children’s magazine which would have fun stories, games and much more! 

One day, Anant Pai and Subba Rao were discussing potential names for this children’s magazine when Subba Rao got a call from his marketing manager. Subba Rao said to him, “I’ll give you a tinkle later in the day.” And that was it! Anant Pai had found the perfect name for his children’s magazine! On November 14th, 1980, Tinkle comics was launched! 

In time, fan favourite characters such as Suppandi, Shikari Shambu and Tantri The Mantri were conceived. Tinkle has come a long way since then. From producing monthly magazines, Tinkle now has a digital edition out every week and remains very popular among children even today. This year, Tinkle magazine will be completing 40 years!

Read more about Uncle Pai’s life in our Amar Chitra Katha title on him, now available on the ACK Comics app as well as all major e-tailers.

By Samyukhtha Sunil

Known as ‘The Father of Engineering’, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya left behind a legacy that fast-tracked India’s technological and infrastructural transition, paving the path for a modernised India through sheer perseverance and determination. It is in the celebration of his legacy that India observes September 15th as National Engineer’s Day.

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, fondly called Sir MV, was born to a poor Brahmin household on September 15th, 1860, in Muddenahalli near modern-day Mysore. It was believed that his father died when Sir MV was barely 15 years old. From then on, his journey in completing his school and college education was one that was filled with endless obstacles and hardships. He acquired a B.A degree from Central College in Bangalore. He went on to earn a scholarship for a civil engineering course from the College of Science in Pune which he completed as the valedictorian. Sir Visvesvaraya’s dedication towards his education was so strong that he would often study under the light of streetlamps late at night to catch up with his portions. During his time in college, he made a small sum of money by tutoring children after classes while still managing to top his university! He led a constant balancing act between earning for his family and trying to pursue his dreams in the field of engineering.

Soon, he was hired by the Public Works Department for the Government of Bombay where he began to develop a keen interest in water irrigation systems, drainage and water supply. Early in his tenure, he even built a structure he dubbed the ‘syphon’; it could redirect water from the Panjra river into the nearby drought-stricken village of Datari. He was deeply passionate about the water conservation system, and his ideas and thoughts were far ahead of the times that they lived in. They helped bring modern irrigation and conservation systems to developing India.

It is believed that, while Sir MV was working on his syphon project in Datari, there was a night of heavy rainfall that caused the river to breach its banks and overflow. Sir. Visvesvaraya took shelter with some locals in the vicinity for a couple of days, but on the third day, he yearned to get back to work. The man apparently swam back across the river with the help of the local workers! It’s safe to say that he was willing to go to any extent for the passion he had for his work!

Armed with immense experience and ideas aplenty, he was appointed as the Diwan of Mysore in 1909 under the post of a Chief Engineer. His instincts told him to take on larger infrastructure and education projects to ramp up development in Mysore, which the Government gladly agreed to. What followed was a massive transformation that revolutionized the state of Mysore forever.

His most significant project during this tenure was the construction of the famous Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, which is still regarded as an engineering marvel and attracts hordes of tourists every day. Not only was its design par excellence, but it also served many purposes for the people of Mysore and the neighbouring regions. It supplied power to the Kolar Gold Mines, it led through vast expanses of farmlands, providing ample irrigation to regions that did not receive enough rainfall, and it also put Mysore on the map as the location for the largest dam to be built in India at the time!

Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s vision was one that went above and beyond. He desired to leave behind a legacy that the rest of the country and the future generations could constantly resonate with. He constantly visited large scale factories and industries to review their work and share his thoughts and ideas with them. He realized the worth of good education and demanded that it be free to all, irrespective of their social or economic strata. This is why he made immense contributions in the field of academia. During his tenure as the Diwan of Mysore between the years 1912-1918, he almost tripled the number of schools and colleges, from 4568 educational institutions to 11,294! He built technical and engineering colleges across the state and introduced compulsory education for all, which became a fundamental right in the Indian constitution. He also set up the first Government Engineering College in Bengaluru, now known as the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering.

Sir MV had the creative vigour of a child throughout his life and did not shy away from questioning things and coming up with new ways to do things. It was believed that even at the age of 92, he walked to most places and did not take any assistance to do his own work. He was a man with a large heart and made generous donations to the people who worked under him; this was why he was left with only INR 36,000 in his final days. He was awarded the prestigious Bharat Ratna in the year 1955 for lifelong contributions to the field of science and engineering.

In 1962, at the grand old age of 102, he passed away peacefully at his home. His birthday was declared as National Engineers Day from 1968 onwards, and it continues to be celebrated not only in India but also in Sri Lanka and Tanzania! His innovations continue to ignite the minds of aspiring engineers everywhere, and has made engineering a desirable field of study for many Indians to this very day. His was truly a lifetime of sharing, nurturing and demonstrating that one should always push the boundaries of the ordinary!

By Samyukhtha Sunil

Over the years, Teachers’ Day has become a symbol of appreciation and acknowledgement of educators across the country for the countless hours they put into guiding and moulding India’s younger generations. This is why, on the eve of every Teachers’ Day, the National Teachers Awards are given to the country’s best teachers by the President of India. But did you know that Teachers’ Day also marks the birthday of former Indian president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a philosopher, academician and educator par excellence? 

Dr Radhakrishnan’s immense contribution to post-independent Indian society has been lauded by leaders across the globe. Dr Radhakrishnan was no ordinary guru. His clarity and creative methods of imparting knowledge brought him into the spotlight as a teacher extraordinaire. He was a popular philosopher, a scholar and an influential diplomat. Such was his vision and wisdom that he is considered to be one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century.

Born on September 5th, 1888, to a poor Brahmin family in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruttani village, Dr Radhakrishnan’s parents decided to dedicate their meagre income to educate him. His dedication and passion towards learning were undeterred since childhood, but after he completed his secondary education, he was requested by his parents to discontinue his studies and assist them by working as a priest at the local temple. It was after a very long and arduous struggle that Dr Radhakrishnan was able to avail the luxury of higher education. A devoted student of philosophy, he began focusing on Hindu schools of thought, which he soon gained immense prowess over. He then expanded his area of interest to include Buddhist teachings and theories, and was soon studying the works of ancient and modern Western thinkers, from Plato to Karl Marx.

He was appointed as the key lecturer of philosophy in the University of Mysore in 1918 where his teachings became wildly popular for how precise and thought-provoking they were. It was during his tenure here that he wrote his best work, ‘The Philosophies of Rabindranath Tagore’. He was invited to Oxford University in London in 1926, where he delivered his famous lecture on Hindu philosophy. His contribution towards the Indian freedom struggle was very unique, becoming a beacon of hope and an academic icon that the rest of the nation resonated with. Dr Radhakrishnan preferred the power of words to fight his battles, and used his lectures as a platform to highlight India’s cause for freedom.         

He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University in 1931, serving for five years. Here, his exemplary work played a huge role in restructuring the crumbling systems of the institutions. The changes he had brought about were so powerful that, by the end of his term, it became one of the most robust and well-known alma maters in the country. 

After India attained independence in 1947, Dr Radhakrishnan was assigned to chair the University Commission in 1948. His committee played a pivotal role in shaping an education system based on India’s needs at the time. In 1949, he became the ambassador to the USSR in the middle of the Cold War. Through his peaceful diplomatic brokering, he successfully established a cordial relationship between India and the Soviet Union. Between 1952 and 1962, he served as the first vice president of the country, and in 1962, he was elevated to the highest office in the country, that of the President of India. 

He was a man of many accolades. Dr Radhakrishnan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. In addition to this, he was nominated a total of 16 times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize! 

Dr Radhakrishnan was also immensely loved by his students. When Dr Radhakrishnan was enroute to the railway station from Mysore University, his endearing students had arranged for a grand flower-decked carriage that they pulled up till his destination! Now that’s a teacher-student bond like no other! 

After he became the President in 1962, Dr Radhakrishnan’s students requested to observe his birthday as “Radhakrishnan Day”, to which he responded by saying that he would like to collectively share this day with every teacher in the country for their commendable work and sacrifices. He regarded it to be a ‘privilege’ to celebrate this day as Teachers’ Day and this is how the first Teachers’ Day came to be celebrated.

Read one of Amar Chitra Katha’s latest miniseries ‘Inspiring Teachers’ which has stories extracted from our iconic titles, compiled for readers who enjoy short reads. Now available exclusively on the ACK Comics app and Kindle. 

When 32-year-old Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, king of Mysore, fell ill and died, his son was still a minor. It was also the year when a severe epidemic of bubonic plague struck the city. This was when his wife, Maharani Kempa Nanjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, took over as queen regent and ruled Mysore for eight memorable years.

During her rule, Bangalore and Mysore saw great progress. Asia’s first hydroelectric project was commissioned at Shivanasamundram. Drinking water to Bengaluru was provided from the Hesaraghatta Reservoir. Many schools for girls were started with more than 12000 girls getting access to education. The Rani laid great stress on pre- and post-natal care for women and opened several hospitals and dispensaries. She also donated 372 acres of land to start the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru.

Rani Vani Vilasa will always be/ remembered as a dynamic ruler who contributed greatly to the welfare of the people of Karnataka.