Gita Press
The Gita Press is the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts. 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 Sanatana Dharma. 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. It started publishing in 1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and at present its print order had reached 2.5 lakh. The Gita Press archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita.
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. 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 and 70.0 million copies of the Ramcharitamanas, at subsidized prices.
, the gopuram, by Meenakshi temple, Madurai
It temporarily shut down in December 2014 over wage issues, but work resumed a few days later.
Publications
Magazines
- Kalyan 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 is also a monthly and has been published since 1934. Its contents are similar to Kalyan.
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Railway Station
Religious texts
These texts are published in Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Oriya and other languages of India.- Shrimad Bhagvad Gita
- The Mahabharata
- Shri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas, Telugu version
- Other works by Tulsidas
- Valmiki Ramayana
- Scriptures
- Works by Soordas
- Books by Swami Ramsukhdas
- Books by Hanuman Prasad Poddar
- Books by Jaydayal Goyandaka
Other publications
- Bhakta-Gathas and Bhajans
- Small books geared towards children
Branches
Branches | Address | Stall Operations |
Bangalore | 7/3, 2nd Cross, Lalbagh Road Bangalore - 560027 | Bangalore, Yashwantpur, SSPN, Hubli |
Coimbatore | Gita Press Mansion 8/1 M, Racecourse, Coimbatore - 641018 | NIL |
Bhilwara | G-7, Aakar Tower, C Block, Opp. Harsh Palace, Gandhi Nagar, Bhilwara - 311001 | NIL |
Cuttack | Bharatiya Towers, Badam Badi, Cuttack-753009 | Cuttack, Bhubanshwar |
Delhi | 2609, Nayi Sarak, Delhi-110006 | Delhi, Nijamuddin, New Delhi, Bikaner, Churu |
Rishikesh | Gita Bhavan, P.O. Swargashram, Rishikesh-249304 | NIL |
Haridwar | Sabjimandi, Motibazar, Haridwar-249401 | Haridwar |
Hyderabad | 41, 4-4-1; Dilshad Plaza, Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad-500095 | Secundrabad, Vijaywada |
Indore | G-5, Shree Vardhan, 4 R.N.T. Marg, Indore-452001 | Indore |
Jalgaon | 7, Bhim Singh Market, Near Railway Station, Jalgaon-425001 | Aurangabad |
Kanpur | 24/55, Birhana Road, Kanpur-208001 | Kanpur, Lucknow, Kota |
Kolkata | 151, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata-700007 | Kolkata, Sealdah, Howrah, Dhanbad, Kharagpur |
Mumbai | 282,Samaldas Gandhi Marg, Near Marine Lines Station, Mumbai-400002 | NIL |
Nagpur | Shriji Kripa Complex, 851, New Etawari Road, Nagpur-440002 | Gondia |
Patna | Ashok Rajpath, Opposite Women's Hospital, Patna - 800004 | Patna |
Raipur | Mittal Complex,Ganjpara, Telghani Chowk, Raipur- 492009 | Raipur |
Ranchi | Cart Sarai Road, Upper Bazar, First Floor Birla Gaddi, Ranchi-834001 | Ranchi |
Surat | Vaibhav Apartment, Opposite Nutan Niwas, Bhatar Road, Surat-395001 | Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bharuch, Nadiyad |
Varanasi | 59/9, Nichibag, Varanasi-221001 | Mughal Sarai |
Chennai | Electro House No. 23, Ramnathan Street, Kilpauk, Chennai-600010 | NIL |
Gorakhpur | Gita Press, P.O. Gita Press, Gorakhpur - 273005 | Chapra, Siwan, Muzaffapur, Gorakhpur, Gondia, Jabalpur, Samastipur |
Gita Press Art Gallery (''Lila chitra mandir'')
The Art Gallery has the lilas 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, Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh
- Rishikul-Brahmacharya Ashram, Churu, Rajasthan.
- Ayurved Sansthan, Rishikesh.
- Gita Press Seva Dal.
- Hasta Nirmit Vastra Vibhag.
- Bhartiya Gramodyog Vastra Bhandar.