Ramcharitmanas Book Runs Out Of Stock At Gita Press Ahead Of Ram Temple Launch

As the countdown for the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya started, there has been a massive demand for Ramcharitmanas print editions and the books are out of stock at Gorakhpur-based The Gita Press.

Having teetered on the brink of closure, the press is currently unable to produce the necessary copies. Consequently, the esteemed institution has opted to make the web edition of Ramcharitmanas available for free download on its website for the next 15 days.

Established in 1923, Gita Press is one of the world's largest publishers, having published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. The institution has never relied on advertisement in its publications, for revenue generation. Gita Press along with its affiliated organizations, strives for the betterment of life and the well-being of all.

The publication which started with the intention of taking Hindu scripture in pure form is today the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts and the archive of the company contains over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita.

Located in Gorakhpur city in Uttar Pradesh, it was founded 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".

Gita Press, which was on the brink of closure in 2015, has witnessed a turnaround, fueled by the religious fervor accompanying the BJP's rise. During the centenary celebrations in 2022, Prime Minister Modi praised Gita Press, hailing it as "not less than any temple" and a guiding force for humanity.

Talking about the demand, Lalmani Tripathi, the manager of the publishing house, told TOI: "Currently, we are uploading Ramcharitmanas on the Gita Press website, and from Tuesday, it will be available for free download for 15 days, allowing up to 50,000 people to download simultaneously. If the load and demand increase, we will scale up the capacity, enabling up to 1,00,000 downloads at a time, and the service period may also be extended."

He has expressed regret for the inability to produce approximately 4 lakh copies of Ramcharitmanas on short notice.