Gita Press, the world’s biggest publisher of Hindu religious texts, has been awarded the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize. However, the publisher will not accept the cash prize of Rs 1 crore as they do not accept any kind of donations. The trustee board of the press met to discuss the award and decided not to take the cash component of the prize. The press thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Culture Ministry for the honor.
Gita Press is located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh and was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Sanatan Dharma. They have published over 93 crore books so far, with all the publishing work done in Gorakhpur. They publish 1,800 types of books in 15 languages and provided 2 crore 40 lakh books to readers in the financial year 2022-23. Despite its low cost, the monetary value of the books is Rs 111 crore.
The news of Gita Press winning the prize brought happiness to Gorakhpur, where the press is located. It is a matter of great honor for Gita Press to receive the prestigious award.
