Gita Press

Gita Press is an Indian books publisher reputed to be the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts.[1] It is located in Gorakhpur city of India's Uttar Pradesh state. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Hinduism. Hanuman Prasad Poddar better known as "Bhaiji" was the founding and the lifetime editor of its noted magazine who also wrote articles with his pen name "SHIV", Kalyan.[2] It started publishing in 1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and at present its print order had reached 250,000 (in 2012). The Gita Press archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita.[3]

Gita Press
Gita Press office gate in Gorakhpur
Founded3 May 1923 (1923-05-03)
Founder
  • Jay Dayal Goyanka,
  • Ghanshyam Das Jalan
Country of originIndia
Headquarters locationGorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
DistributionWorldwide
Publication typesHindu Religious Books and Kalyan Masik
Nonfiction topicsHinduism
No. of employees350
Official websitewww.gitapress.org

Seth Jaya Dayal Goyanka, Shri Hanuman Prasad Poddar and Shri Ghanshyam Das Jalan, Gita preachers set up the Gita Press on 29 April 1923, as a unit of Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (presently governed by the West Bengal Societies Act, 1960). Five months later it acquired its first printing machine for Rs 600. Since its establishment, the Gita Press has published more than 140 million copies of the Gita and 100 million copies of the Ramcharitamanas, at subsidized prices.[4] Gita Press completed its hundred years in 2022. Former President Ram Nath Kovind had started its centenary celebrations on 4th May 2022. Prime minister Narendra Modi also congratulated in 2023. [5] On 18 June 2023, Gita Press was conferred with the Gandhi Peace Prize of 2021, by the Government of India.[6]

It temporarily shut down in December 2014 over wage issues, [7] but work resumed a few days later.[8]

Publications

Magazines
  • Kalyan (in Hindi) is a monthly magazine being published since 1927. It has articles devoted to various religious topics promoting uplifting thought and good deeds. Writings by Indian saints and scholars are regularly published in the magazine.
  • Kalyana-Kalpataru (in English) is also a monthly and has been published since 1934. Its contents are similar to Kalyan.

Neither of these magazines runs any advertisements.

Gita Press Gorakhpur outlet at Kanpur Railway Station

Religious texts

These texts are published in Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Oriya and other languages of India.

Other publications
  • Bhakta-Gathas and Bhajans
  • Small books geared towards children

Branches

Gita Press has the branches and stalls in following locations. Most of the stalls are operated in railway platforms except Churu and Nadiyad. Churu has a stall near Rishikul Brahmacharyashram vedic school and Nadiyad has a stall near Santram Temple.

BranchesStateAddressStall Operations
AyodhyaUttar Pradesh24/2/10, Chowk Ayodhya Road, Sai Nagar, Chowk Ayodhya Road, Sai Nagar, Ayodhya – 224123NIL
BengaluruKarnataka7/3, 2nd Cross, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore – 560027Bangalore, Yashwantpur, SSPN, Hubli
CoimbatoreTamil NaduGita Press Mansion 8/1 M, Racecourse, Coimbatore – 641018NIL
BhilwaraRajasthanG-7, Aakar Tower, C Block, Opp. Harsh Palace, Gandhi Nagar, Bhilwara – 311001NIL
CuttackOdishaBharatiya Towers, Badam Badi, Cuttack – 753009Cuttack, Bhubanshwar
DelhiDelhi2609, Nayi Sarak, Delhi – 110006Delhi, Nijamuddin, New Delhi, Bikaner, Churu
RishikeshUttarakhandGita Bhavan, P.O. Swargashram, Rishikesh – 249304NIL
HaridwarUttarakhandSabjimandi, Motibazar, Haridwar – 249401Haridwar
HyderabadTelangana41, 4-4-1, Dilshad Plaza, Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad – 500095Secunderabad, Vijaywada
IndoreMadhya PradeshG-5, Shree Vardhan, 4 R.N.T. Marg, Indore – 452001Indore
JalgaonMaharashtra7, Bhim Singh Market, Near Railway Station, Jalgaon – 425001Aurangabad
KanpurUttar Pradesh24/55, Birhana Road, Kanpur – 208001Kanpur, Lucknow, Kota
KolkataWest Bengal151, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata – 700007Kolkata, Sealdah, Howrah, Dhanbad, Kharagpur
MumbaiMaharashtra282, Samaldas Gandhi Marg (Princess Street), Near Marine Lines Station, Mumbai – 400002NIL
NagpurMaharashtraShriji Kripa Complex, 851, New Etawari Road, Nagpur – 440002Gondia
PatnaBiharAshok Rajpath, Opposite Women's Hospital, Patna – 800004Patna
PuneMaharashtraShop No. 3, Ruchi Apartment, Near Sai Service Station, Pulachiwadi, JM Road, Pune – 411004NIL
RaipurChhattisgarhMittal Complex, Ganjpara, Telghani Chowk, Raipur – 492009Raipur
RanchiJharkhandCart Sarai Road, Upper Bazar, First Floor Birla Gaddi, Ranchi – 834001Ranchi
SuratGujaratVaibhav Apartment, Opposite Nutan Niwas, Bhatar Road, Surat – 395001Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bharuch, Nadiyad
VaranasiUttar Pradesh59/9, Nichibag, Varanasi – 221001Mughal Sarai
ChennaiTamil NaduElectro House No. 23, Ramnathan Street, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600010NIL
GorakhpurUttar PradeshGita Press, P.O. Gita Press, Gorakhpur – 273005Chapra, Siwan, Muzaffapur, Gorakhpur, Gondia, Jabalpur, Samastipur
Gita Press outlet, Gita Bhavan, Muni Ki Reti.

The Art Gallery has the lilas (works or plays) of Shri Rama and Shri Krishna portrayed in 684 paintings by famed artists of the past and present. Other paintings, including Mewari style paintings of the Shri Krishna Lila are also on exhibit. The entire 700 verses of the Bhagvad Gita are displayed on marble plaques affixed to the walls.

Affiliated organizations

The Gita Press is part of the Govind Bhawan Karyalaya, Kolkata.

Other affiliated institutions are:

  • Gita Bhavan, A satsang Bhawan in which tourist live for free and without paying anything Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh
  • Rishikul-Brahmacharya Ashram (Vedic school), Churu, Rajasthan.
  • Ayurved Sansthan (producer of Ayurvedic medicines), Rishikesh.
  • Gita Press Seva Dal (Philanthropic organization for natural calamities).
  • Hasta Nirmit Vastra Vibhag quality cloth shop in Gorakhpur, Rishikesh, Kanpur and Kolkata

See also

References
  1. Encyclopædia Britannica.
  2. Hanuman Prasad Poddar Archived 2010-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Holy word India Today, 20 December 2007.
  4. https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/apr-may-jun-2021/gita-press-runs-into-its-next-century/
  5. https://observervoice.com/pm-wishes-gita-press-on-completing-100-years-21910/
  6. "Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. Historic Geeta Press shuts down indefinitely
  8. "Work resumes at Gita Press". The Times of India. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  9. "Thulasidas Ramayana". The Hindu. 21 May 2002. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
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