Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express Trains from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on 7th July 2023, Friday. The two trains are Gorakhpur-Lucknow and Jodhpur-Ahmedabad (Sabarmati) Vande Bharat Express. Mr. Modi said Vande Bharat trains are the new name of convenient train journeys in the country.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of redevelopment works of the Gorakhpur Railway Station which will be completed at an estimated cost of around 498 crore rupees.
Earlier, Mr. Modi addressed the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the Gita Press in Gorakhpur. He said New India is committed to preserve its cultural heritage along with marching towards the development path. He added India is building world-class infrastructure along with re-invigorating spiritual centres like Kashi, Ayodhya, and Kedarnath. Mr. Modi said this is the time India must break the shackles of slavery and take pride in its rich cultural heritage.
Praising Gita Press for its contribution to society, Mr. Modi said Gita Press is an institution which has always enriched social values and shown the path of righteousness to the people. The Prime Minister said Gita Press has a national character and strengthens the unity of the country.
Mr. Modi also released the chitramaya Shiva Purana granth and the Nepali version of the Shiva Mahapurana. He also visited the Leela Chitra temple in the Gita Press. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanied the Prime Minister.
Our correspondent reports that the Gita Press is the world’s largest publisher of Hindu spiritual texts including Ramacharitmanas, Gita, Upanishads and Puranas. The press was established in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka for promoting the principles of Sanatana Dharma. In its journey of 100 years, the historic press has published over 93 crore books in 15 languages on 1800 varied topics. Recently, the historic press has been conferred with the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi used to write regular columns for its monthly magazine Kalyan, which is also one of the best-selling publications of the Gita Press.
The press has a grand entrance gate, which was inaugurated by the first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1955. Former President Ram Nath Kovind also visited the Gita Press in Gorakhpur last year to kickstart the centenary celebrations. To avoid the pressure of market forces, neither the press publishes advertisements in its publications, nor does it take donations. The publications of the press are made available to the public at the printing cost.
