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{{Short description|Bengali Magazine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Refimprove|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title           = Anandamela
| logo            = Anandamela_logo.png
| logo_size       = 150px
| image_file      = Anandamela_Sharadiya_Cover.jpg
| image_size      = 200px
| image_alt       = Anandamela Sharadiya 2002 front cover
| image_caption   = [[Durga Puja|Sharadiya]] 2002 front cover of ''Anandamela''
| editor          = [[Caesar Bagchi]]
| editor_title    = 
| previous_editor = {{ubl|Ashoke Kumar Sarkar|[[Nirendranath Chakravarty]]|Debasish Bandyopadhyay|[[Paulami Sengupta]]}}
| staff_writer    = 
| photographer    = 
| category        = 
| frequency       = Fortnightly (5th & 20th of every month)
| circulation     = 
| publisher       = [[Ananda Publishers]]<br>{{small|([[ABP Group]])}}
| founder         = 
| founded         = 
| firstdate       = March 1975<!-- {{Start date|df=yes|year|month|day}} -->
| company         = 
| country         = India
| based           = [[Kolkata]]
| language        = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| website         = {{URL|www.anandamela.in}}
| issn            = 
| oclc            = 
}}

'''''Anandamela''''', '''''Anondamela''''', or '''''Anondomela''''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: আনন্দমেলা) is a children's periodical in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] published by the [[ABP Group]] in [[Kolkata|Kolkata, India]].<ref name=ebook>{{cite web|title=Anandamela 5 April 2016 Bengali Magazine in PDF|url=https://newbengaliebook.blogspot.com.tr/2016/04/anandamela-5-april-2016-bengali.html|publisher=New Bengali E-Book|accessdate=2 June 2016|date=7 April 2016}}</ref>

==History and profile==
The first issue of ''Anandamela'' appeared in March 1975.<ref name="ebook"/> [[Satyajit Ray]] designed the cover of first issue. The magazine is published fortnightly.<ref name=hindu5>{{cite news|title=End of an era|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/end-of-an-era/article5200509.ece|accessdate=2 August 2015|work=The Hindu|date=5 October 2013}}</ref> It has been edited by several eminent personalities at different times, including the poet [[Nirendranath Chakravarty]],<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kunal Chakrabarti|author2=Shubhra Chakrabarti|title=Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVOFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA121|date=22 August 2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-8024-5|page=121}}</ref> [[Ashok Kumar Sarkar]], and [[Debasish Bandopadhyay]]. The current editor is [[Caeser Bagchi]]. ''Anandamela'' is one of the oldest surviving Bengali children's magazines and is published twice a month, on the fifth (previously second) and twentieth days. 

Many authors began writing for children through ''Anandamela.'' For example, [[Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay]] gained recognition as a children's author after his serial novel ''Manojder Adbhut Baari'' was published in ''Anandamela''. On 19 June 2004, ''Anandamela'' split up into two different magazines: the original ''Anandamela'' (for children aged 8&nbsp;– 14) and ''[[Unish Kuri]]'' (for teens and young adults aged 15&nbsp;– 25).

==Popular series, novels, and stories ==
* ''Aranyadeb'' (''[[The Phantom]]'') comics (translated from English)
* ''[[Archie Comics]]'' (translated from English)
* ''Arjun'' by [[Samaresh Majumdar]]
* ''[[Asterix]]'' comics written by [[René Goscinny]] and illustrated by [[Albert Uderzo]] (translated from French)
* ''Bagha'' (''Tiger'') comic (translated from English)
* ''[[Batman]]'' comics (translated from English)
* '' Chander Pahar'' comics by Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay, with art by Sidhhartha Chaterjee
* ''Dodo & Tatai'' by [[Tarapada Roy]]
* ''Doohsahosi Tintin'' (''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'') comics by [[Hergé]] (translated from French)
* ''Dosyi Dennis'' (''[[Dennis the Menace (U.S. comics)|Dennis the Menace]]'') comics (translated from English)
* ''Dyuti, Hitoishi and Young Detective Kabulda'' by Rajesh Basu
* ''[[Ekenbabu]]'' series by Sujan Dasgupta
* ''[[Feluda]]'' comics by [[Satyajit Ray]], art by Abhijit Chattopadhyay
* ''[[Flash Gordon]]'' comics
* ''Gablu'' (''[[Henry (comic)|Henry]]'') comics (translated from English)
* ''[[Ghanada]]'' by [[Premendra Mitra]]
* ''[[Gogol (Detective)|Gogol]]'' by [[Samaresh Basu]]
* ''Gupi & Panu'' by [[Leela Majumdar]]
* ''[[He-Man]]'' Comics (translated from English)
* ''Jo-Jet-Jocko'' (''[[Jo, Zette and Jocko]]'') comics by [[Hergé]] (translated from French)
* ''[[Kakababu]]'' by [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]
* ''Kalaboti'' by [[Moti Nandy]]
* ''[[Kikira]]'' by [[Bimal Kar]]
*''[[DiThi, Kalpyo, Srunit and Kaga, Boga]]'' by [[Debasis Bandyopadhyay]]
* ''Manojder Adbhut Bari'', ''Harano Kakatua'', ''Gosaibaganer Bhoot'', and ''Sadhubabar Lathi'' (novels) by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
* ''Mitin & Tupur'' by [[Suchitra Bhattacharya]]
* ''[[Pandab Goenda]]'' by [[Sasthipada Chattopadhyay]]
* ''[[Professor Shonku]]'' by [[Satyajit Ray]]
* ''Rahasyer Sandhane'', ''Cent Rahasya'' (novels), ''Hans-saheber Behala'', ''Rimbor Aschorjo Putul'', ''Nafargarer Hambir Mahal'' (stories) by Rajesh Basu
* ''{{ill|Rappa Rayer Kando|bn|রাপ্পা রায়}}'' comics by [[Sujog Bondhopadhya]]
* ''Rovers-er Roy'' (''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'') comics (translated from English)
* ''[[Spider-Man]]'' comics (translated from English)
* ''[[Tarzan]]'' comics (translated from English)
* ''[[Tenida]]'' comics by [[Narayan Gangopadhyay]], with art by Arijit Dutt Chowdhury
* Comics based on the stories by [[Shibram Chakraborty]], with art by Saurav Mukhopadhyay
* Comics based on the stories by Parshuram ([[Rajshekhar Bose]])

==Key writers ==
* [[Rajesh Basu]]
* [[Debasis Bandyopadhyay]]
* [[Samaresh Basu]]
* [[Suchitra Bhattacharya]]
* [[Dulendra Bhowmik]]
* [[Sanjeev Chattopadhyay]]
* [[Sukanto Gangopadhyay]]
* [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]
* [[Sailen Ghosh]]
* [[Bimal Kar]]
* [[Samaresh Majumdar]]
* [[Premendra Mitra]]
* [[Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay]]
* [[Moti Nandy]]
* [[Anil Bhowmik]]
* [[Satyajit Ray]]
* [[Nabanita Dev Sen]]

==Key artists==
Art and artists were always an important part of ''Anandamela'', thus giving birth to some memorable artistic talents. Among the large number of artists who illustrated the pages and covers of ''Anandamela'' are:

* Kunal Barman
* Onkar Nath Bhattacharya
* Shubhaprasanna Bhattacharya
* Krishnendu Chaki
* Amitava Chandra
* [[Abhijit Chattopadhyay]]
* Subrata Chowdhury
* [[Bimal Das]]
* Saumen Das
* [[Debasish Deb]]
* Subrata Gangopadhyay
* Pratyaybhaswar Jana
* [[Sudhir Maitra]]
* Roudra Mitra
* [[Ahibhushan Malik]]
* Prasenjit Nath
* [[Satyajit Ray]]
* [[Anup Roy]]
* Baishali Sarkar
* [[Samir Sarkar]]

==Special issue (Puja Number)==
In October, the Bengali festive month, ''Anandamela'' is published in a special edition of nearly 400 pages. This edition features [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]'s new novel in the thriller series ''[[Kakababu]]'', as well as full-length ''[[Feluda]]'' comic based on a story by [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning director [[Satyajit Ray]], illustrated by [[Abhijit Chattopadhyay]]. The special issue includes five to six complete novels, several short stories, features, and three complete comic strips, some of which extend up to 60 pages.

Although the regular fortnightly issues of ''Anandamela'' started much later, the Puja Number began in 1971. Its price was [[Rupees|Rs.]] 2.00, and it did not contain any cartoons. Sunil Gangopadhyay and Satyajit Ray are the only writers whose work has appeared in every Puja Number of ''Anandamela'' since the magazine's inception.

==Other activities==
The Anandamela Club has a paid membership system that arranges various programs, competitions, and activities throughout the year for children.

==Criticism==
''Anandamela'' has faced criticism in the past for its over-reliance on foreign comics. After [[Paulami Sengupta]] took charge as the editor, original comics based on Bengali literature were introduced, and all foreign comics were pulled, including ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'', which was the hallmark and flagship brand of ''Anandamela''. <!-- (I'm commenting this out because it's pretty personal language, and without a source, I don't think it's a fair or wiki-appropriate claim to make here. If you can rephrase it and provide a source for the nepotism claim, please do. Thanks!) However, of late the quality of this magazine is fast deteriorating, which a bad editorial board busy in nepotism may be blamed for, and it seems the Chief Editor may be hardly aware of this ordeal. -->

==See also==
{{Portal|Children's literature}}
*''[[Unish Kuri]]'', sister publication of ''Anandamela''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{oweb|http://www.anandamela.in/}}

{{ABP Group}}

[[Category:1975 establishments in West Bengal]]
[[Category:ABP Group]]
[[Category:Bengali-language magazines]]
[[Category:Biweekly magazines published in India]]
[[Category:Children's magazines published in India]]
[[Category:Comics magazines published in India]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1975]]
[[Category:Mass media in Kolkata]]