Gita press responds to surging demand : Ramcharitmanas now available for free download

Amidst an overwhelming surge in demand for Ramcharitmanas following the announcement of the ‘Pran Prathistha’ at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Gita Press, one of the world’s largest publishers, has taken the initiative to make the holy book accessible through free downloads on its website. Established in 1923, Gita Press has published a staggering 95 crore books in 15 languages and holds stores across the country.

Lalmani Tripathi, Manager at Gita Press revealed that, in 2022, the press printed and distributed approximately 75,000 copies of Ramcharitmanas. However, the recent anticipation surrounding the consecration ceremony has led to an unprecedented increase in demand. With limited space and a lack of preparedness to print and provide 2 to 4 lakh copies suddenly, Gita Press has made 1 lakh copies available since last month, but the demand continues to surpass supply.

Tripathi acknowledged the challenges, stating that in various places, they’ve had to decline requests due to insufficient stock. In response to this, Gita Press is proactively addressing the situation by allowing free downloads of Ramcharitmanas on their website for 15 days, starting from Tuesday.

This move aims to accommodate up to 50,000 people initially, with the capacity to scale up to 1 lakh simultaneous downloads if the demand persists.

Tripathi noted the enthusiastic response from people who are considering large-scale distribution of Ramcharitmanas, Sunderkand and Hanuman Chalisa for recitation. Anticipating increased demand after the ‘Pran Pratishtha‘ he mentioned the possibility of visitors to Ayodhya taking Ramcharitmanas as ‘prasad’ to their homes.

Considering the extensive reach of Gita Press, publishing books in 15 languages and having over 2,500 book distributors, Tripathi emphasized the need to explore various options to expand their capacity and meet the escalating demand for books. This move reflects Gita Press’s commitment to ensuring widespread access to religious texts, especially during significant events such as the upcoming consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.