Gorakhpur: As the countdown begins for the historic Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Shri Ramlala at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, the Geeta Press, the world’s largest publisher of Hindu religious texts, is struggling to cope with the unprecedented demand for Ramcharitmanas, the epic poem by Tulsidas that narrates the life and deeds of Lord Ram.
Ramcharitmanas, also known as Tulsi Ramayana, is considered one of the greatest works of Hindu literature and a source of inspiration and devotion for millions of Hindus. The Geeta Press, which was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan to promote the principles of Hinduism, has published more than 95 crore books since its inception, including Ramcharitmanas in 15 languages.
However, the Geeta Press is facing a severe shortage of Ramcharitmanas books due to the surge in demand from devotees who want to recite and study the sacred text on the auspicious occasion of the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala, the idol of Lord Ram that was installed at the Ram temple site after the Supreme Court verdict in 2019.
Geeta Press Manager Lalmani Tripathi said that the press used to print and distribute around 75,000 copies of Ramcharitmanas on average every year, but this year, the demand has increased manifold and the press is unable to meet it due to limited space and resources. He said that since last month, the press has managed to provide only one lakh copies of Ramcharitmanas, and even after that, the demand is not being met and the press does not have enough stock. He said that in many places, the press has to politely inform the customers that they do not have stock available.
He said that recently, the press received a demand for 50,000 copies of Ramcharitmanas from Jaipur, and a demand for 10,000 copies from Bhagalpur, which the press had to regretfully reject. He said that this is the situation in the entire country, and the press is receiving orders from all over India and abroad. He said that people are so excited about the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala that they are considering reciting Ramcharitmanas, Sunderkand, and Hanuman Chalisa on a large scale. He said that when a large number of people come to Ayodhya after Pran Pratishtha, they can think of taking Ramcharitmanas to their homes as Prasad.
To cater to the growing demand and to make Ramcharitmanas accessible to everyone, Tripathi said that the press has decided to upload Ramcharitmanas on the website of Geeta Press, which can be downloaded for free from January 16. He said that the press is uploading Ramcharitmanas on the website and from Tuesday, it will be available for free download. He said that the press will provide this service for 15 days, which 50,000 people will be able to download. He said that the press will increase its capacity so that one lakh people will be able to download Ramcharitmanas simultaneously. He said that this service period can also be extended, depending on the response and feedback from the users.
Tripathi said that the press is also exploring various options to expand its capacity for printing and distributing more books, as the pressure on the press to publish books will increase even more after the Pran Pratishtha. He said that the press has more than 2,500 book distributors associated with it, and the press also has to keep in mind their demands, as their livelihood depends on it. He said that the press is committed to serving humanity for truth and peace, as per its motto, and to spreading the message of Lord Ram through Ramcharitmanas. He appealed to the people to support the press in its noble mission and to take advantage of the free online access to Ramcharitmanas. He also requested the people to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and celebrate the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala with joy and devotion.
