Wednesday, May 24: ACK Media – the leading education and entertainment Company for children is launching their new Amar Chitra Katha title ‘Thanjavur – City of Brihadeeswara’ on Facebook on 30th May. The new title will then be available in all bookstores nationally at Rs. 50/– and on Apple iTunes and Amazon Kindle apps for 0.99$. The launch of Thanjavur on Facebook also brings a unique opportunity for Amar Chitra Katha fans. They can speak with the author and editor of ‘Thanjavur’ through a “Live Chat” on 30th May and ask questions about their favorite comic book series – Amar Chitra Katha.
(For details logon to: http://www.facebook.com/amarchitrakatha)
“We have a vibrant community of readers of Amar Chitra Katha who engage with us on our Facebook page. Launching our latest title, Thanjavur, on this forum is our way of celebrating this growing community. An online event gives us a chance to include a large group of readers for the launch and we hope to make the event enjoyable and participative”, said Mr. Shubhadeep Bhattacharya, Business Head – Digital, ACK Media. “We are launching a video on 24th of May, which will give a sneak peek into the new title ‘Thanjavur – city of Brihadeeswara’. This will be followed by a series of engaging activities like quiz contests, fun facts and quests around the tale of Thanjavur that will lead up to the launch on 30th May”, he further added.
The new title of Amar Chitra Katha narrates the story of Thanjavur, which is home to the 1000-year-old Brihadeeswara Temple. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Thanjavur was the capital of the Chola Empire for many years. The comic book highlights the fascinating history and the large number of myths and local legends associated with it. These stories, put together, make an interesting read for both children and adults. The comic will also interest tourists who wish to know more about the town and its unique identity.
Ms. Reena Puri, Editor Amar Chitra Katha says, “Thanjavur is part of our titles planned on historical cities. It was the capital of the Chola Empire and the hub of great political activity. But like most ancient Indian temple cities the historical has merged with the mythological in a fascinating manner. We hope to create at least one comic each year which will tell in a simple way the stories behind some of our greatest cities.”
Ms. Prabha Nair, Scriptwriter of Thanjavur says, “Thanjavur is a treasure chest of stories, historical and mythical. To weave the two in a plausible way was a challenge. What I have told is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to Thanjavur’s art and culture, to its monuments and temples. I hope this comic creates an interest in people to discover these facets for themselves.”
Speaking about the illustration, artist Rakesh C.S. highlights, “It’s the first time I’m illustrating a story for Amar Chitra Katha. As Thanjavur is one of the most important temple-towns in South India, the work has been very interesting and challenging. The composition of the pages and panels of this comic was done using pictures of statues and frescoes of the temples as reference. Although, historically, the story is that of the temples of Thanjavur, the comic narrates the story of Shiva from a devotional perspective. I’m very happy to have illustrated the comic and to have brought more of Shiva’s illustrations to the Amar Chitra Katha comics.”
For details on the launch on Facebook logon to: http://www.facebook.com/amarchitrakatha)