Gita Press a Living Faith, no less than a Temple, says PM Modi

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• About Gita Press
• News Summary

 

Why in News?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while attending the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the Gita Press in Gorakhpur, described the publishing house as “not less than any temple” adding the publisher is “guiding humanity” through its work.

 

About Gita Press

• Gita Press was established in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan, two Marwari businessmen.
• The institution’s main objective is to promote and spread the principles of Sanatana Dharma, the Hindu religion among the general public by publishing Gita, Ramayana, Upanishads, Puranas, Discourses of eminent Saints, etc.
• It aims to promote the art of living as propounded in the Gita for peace & happiness and the ultimate upliftment of mankind.
• The institution neither solicits donations nor accepts advertisements in its publications.
• The deficit is met by the surplus from other departments of the society which render services at reasonable cost.
• Gita Press now claims to have published more than 910 million copies of 1,800 different religious and spiritual books and other materials in 15 languages since its inception.
• It has become a household name in most of the Hindi heartland with its low-priced, popular Hindu religious texts.
• In the contemporary age of Internet revolution, the Press is aiming for a major expansion, aided by tech, by making available Gita, Ramayana, discourses of eminent Hindu saints, Upanishads, Puranas and other religious books and magazines online, many free of cost.

 

News Summary

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the historic Gita Press in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that in the pious month of Sravan, and with the blessings of Indradev, he has got the opportunity to be present at Gita Press in Gorakhpur.
• The Prime Minister emphasized that the spiritual light that lit up in the form of Gita Press in 1923 has become the guiding light of the entire humanity today.
• On the centenary of the Gita Press, the government has conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize to it.
  • Gita Press will receive the citation but not accept the Rs 1 crore cash award that comes with the Gandhi Peace Prize.
• Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s emotional attachment to Gita Press, the Prime Minister informed that Gandhiji once used to write for Gita Press through Kalyan Patrika.
• He further added that it was Gandhiji who suggested that advertisements should not be published in the Kalyan Patrika and the suggestion is still being followed.
• Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said that the idea of a developed and spiritual India was given to us by our sages, and today one can see it becoming meaningful.

 

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Q1) What are the 4 main Vedas about?

the Rig Veda contains hymns about their mythology; the Sama Veda consists mainly of hymns about religious rituals; the Yajur Veda contains instructions for religious rituals; and the Atharva Veda consists of spells against enemies, sorcerers, and diseases.

 

Q2) Young India journal/magazine was founded by which freedom fighter?

Young India was a weekly paper or journal in English founded by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1916 and later published by Mahatma Gandhi. Through this work, Mahatma Gandhi sought to popularize India's demand for independence or Swaraj.

 

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Source: Gita Press a living faith, no less than a temple, says PM Modi | PIB