Gita Press

The Gita Press is world's largest publishers 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 Goyandka for promoting the principles of Sanatana Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar was the founding and the lifetime editor of its noted magazine, Kalyan.^[2] It started publishing in 1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and at present its print order had reached 2.5 lakh (in 2012). The Gita Press archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Gita.^[3]

Seth Jaya Dayal Goyandka, a Gita preacher set up the Gita Press on April 29, 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 approximately 410 million copies of the Gita (in different editions) and 70.0 million copies of the Ramcharitamanas, at subsidized prices.^[3]

Gita Press Gate, with its pillars inspired from the cave temples of Ellora, the gopuram, by Meenakshi temple, Madurai

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.

Religious Texts

It has a small Bhagavath Gita which costs Rs.4/- which is very popular

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

• Shrimad Bhagvad Gita (several formats)
• The Mahabharata
• Shri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas (several formats), Telugu version (2002) ^[4]
• Other works by Tulsidas
• Valmiki Ramayana (several formats)
• Scriptures (Puranas, Upanishads and others)
• Works by Soordas

Other Publications

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

Gita Press Art Gallery (Lila chitra mandir)

The Art Gallery has the lilas ( exploits ) 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

Gita Press outlet, Gita Bhavan, Muni Ki Reti

The Gita Press is part of the Govind Bhawan Karyalaya, Kolkata. Other affiliated institutions are:

• Gita Bhavan, Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh
• Rishikul-Brahmacharya Ashram (Vedic school), Churu, Rajasthan.
• Ayurved Sansthan (producer of Ayurvedic medicines), Rishikesh.
• Gita Press Seva Dal (relief organization for natural calamities).
• Hasta Nirmit Vastra Vibhag (producer of handloom made clothes).
• Bhartiya Gramodyog Vastra Bhandar (first retailer of Gita Press in Mumbai).

^[5]

See also

Hanuman Prasad Poddar

References

External links

• Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Official Website