 Logo | |
| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 3, 1923; 102 years ago (1923-05-03) |
| Founder | Jay Dayal Goyanka Ghanshyam Das Jalan |
| Country of origin | India |
| Headquarters location | Gorakhpur,Uttar Pradesh |
| Distribution | Worldwide |
| Publication types | Hindu Religious Books andKalyan Masik |
| Nonfiction topics | Hinduism |
| No. of employees | 350 |
| Official website | www.gitapress.org |
Gita Press is an Indianbooks publishing company, headquartered inGorakhpur,Uttar Pradesh,India, and considered to be the world's largest publisher ofHindu religious texts. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka,Hanuman Prasad Poddar, and Ghanshyam Das Jalan with the intention to make sacred texts easily accessible to the general public.
Publication began in 1927 with a monthly Hindi magazine titled Kalyan. Since its establishment, the Gita Press has published over 417 million books in 14 different languages. Gita Press was conferred with theGandhi Peace Prize of 2021, by theGovernment of India.[1]
Gita Press was established on 29 April 1923 inGorakhpur,Uttar Pradesh,India by Jaya Dayal Goyanka, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, and Ghanysham Das Jalan.[2][3] The vision of the Gita Press was to provide affordable translations and commentaries of sacred texts for the general public.[2][4] To launch the press, Goyanka worked with fellow businessmen in Gorakhpur.[5][6] Formal publication began in 1927 with a monthly Hindi magazine,Kalyan.[2][7]
Gita Press is a unit of Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya registered under theSocieties Registration Act, 1860 (presently governed by theWest Bengal Societies Act, 1961)[8]
In 2019, it was estimated that the Gita Press produced 141 million copies of theBhagavad Gita, 108 million copies of theRamcharitmanas, 25 million copies of thePuranas andUpanishads, 5 million copies of theHanuman Chalisa, and 198 million copies of smaller book, and 160 million copies of various booklets and pamphlets.[9]
Gita Press has branches and outlets throughout India and one location inNepal.[10]
| Branches | State | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | Karnataka | 7/3, 2nd Cross, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore – 560027 |
| Bhilwara | Rajasthan | G-7, Aakar Tower, C Block, Opp. Harsh Palace, Gandhi Nagar, Bhilwara – 311001 |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Electro House No. 23, Ramnathan Street, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600010 |
| Coimbatore | Tamil Nadu | Gita Press Mansion 8/1 M, Racecourse, Coimbatore – 641018 |
| Cuttack | Odisha | Bharatiya Towers, Badam Badi, Cuttack – 753009 |
| Delhi | Delhi | 2609, Nayi Sarak, Delhi – 110006 |
| Gorakhpur | Uttar Pradesh | Gita Press, P.O. Gita Press, Gorakhpur – 273005 |
| Haridwar | Uttarakhand | Sabjimandi, Motibazar, Haridwar – 249401 |
| Hyderabad | Telangana | 41, 4-4-1, Dilshad Plaza, Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad – 500095 |
| Indore | Madhya Pradesh | G-5, Shree Vardhan, 4 R.N.T. Marg, Indore – 452001 |
| Jalgaon | Maharashtra | 7, Bhim Singh Market, Near Railway Station, Jalgaon – 425001 |
| Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | 24/55, Birhana Road, Kanpur – 208001 |
| Kathmandu | Nepal | P84X+J3G, Pashupatinath Marg, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal |
| Kolkata | West Bengal | 151, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata – 700007 |
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | 282, Samaldas Gandhi Marg (Princess Street), Near Marine Lines Station, Mumbai – 400002 |
| Nagpur | Maharashtra | Shriji Kripa Complex, 851, New Etawari Road, Nagpur – 440002 |
| Patna | Bihar | Ashok Rajpath, Opposite Women's Hospital, Patna – 800004 |
| Raipur | Chhattisgarh | Mittal Complex, Ganjpara, Telghani Chowk, Raipur – 492009 |
| Ranchi | Jharkhand | Cart Sarai Road, Upper Bazar, First Floor Birla Gaddi, Ranchi – 834001 |
| Rishikesh | Uttarakhand | Gita Bhavan, P.O. Swargashram, Rishikesh – 249304 |
| Surat | Gujarat | Vaibhav Apartment, Opposite Nutan Niwas, Bhatar Road, Surat – 395001 |
| Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | 59/9, Nichibag, Varanasi – 221001 |
The Gita Press Leela Chitra Mandir, or art gallery, is located at the Gorakhpur Gita Press location, was inaugurated by India's first president,Rajendra Prasad. Around 684 paintings portray the life and teachings ofRama andKrishna. Other paintings, including Mewari style paintings of theKrishna Lila are also on exhibit. Other artifacts, such as letters byMahatma Gandhi and ancient copies of the Bhagavad Gita, are preserved here.[11][9][12]
In 2021, Gita Press was awarded theGandhi Peace Prize by India Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.[7][3]