Gita Press comics to woo kids
ALLAHABAD : World’s largest publisher of Hindu religious books Gita Press of Gorakhpur will reach out to millions of children through its all new series of comic books with Lord Ram, Krishna and other deities as superheroes.
On the lines of famous story books of Amar Chitra Katha and Panchtantra, the Gita Press comics will be packed with pictures and illustrations.
Stories and characters of the comic books will be drawn from Hindu texts like the Ramayana, the Bhagwad Gita, the Ramcharitmanas, the Vedas and Puranas.
“Gita Press is re-inventing the art of story-telling, especially the stories drawn from ancient Hindu texts, so as to draw the attention of children. On an experimental basis we published some story and comic books for children and we received an overwhelming response from them,” said editor KK Khemka and president of Gita Press Trust Board Radheshyam Khemka who are camping in Gita Press’s camp at Sangam Lower Marg, Khak Chowk in Magh Mela.
The comic books are moderately priced, starting ₹15, so that every child can buy it.
“Many books were sold from our camp in Magh Mela. A dedicated team of researchers is working on the project. They are in the process of identifying stories from Hindu religious works that can be converted into interesting stories in comic books,” they added.
Associate editor of KalyanGita Press Prem Prakash Lakkar said children could not be expected to read religious text unless they draw their interest.
“We decided to launch comic books for children so that they grow up with moral values. Much still needs to be done in this regard as we need artists to illustrate some scenes in captivating pictures. The idea is to target readers below 40 years of age,” he added.
Lakkar, who retired from the Indian Revenue Service, said comic books like Satyapremi Harishchandra, Dashashavtar, and Adarsh Desh Bhakt were becoming a hit among the children.
“We have also included inspirational childhood stories of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other stalwarts in the children book series,” he said.
“A compilation of 30 inspirational stories in the book Prerak Kahaniyan is another series of children’s books worth reading. It is based on the teachings of Shree Ramsukhdasji Maharaj,” he added.