Hanuman Prasad Poddar
Encyclopedia
Hanuman Prasad Poddar was an author and freedom fighter of India.
Lovingly called as Bhaijee, he was a multifaceted personality. As an editor of the religious magazine 'Kalyan', he is known for his untiring efforts to propagate and disseminate Hindu
religion across the world.
The Government of India issued a postage stamp in his memory in 1992.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar was born in Ratangarh
in Rajasthan
. He dedicated his life to make available great epics like the Ramayana
, the Mahabharata
, the Puranas
and the Upanishads translated in Hindi to the common people at affordable prices.
He started publishing and editing ‘Kalyaan’ monthly Magazine from 1927 in Hindi
with a view to ‘the betterment of life and the well- being of all’ This Magazine is basically dedicated to spirituality and gives wider exposure to the various aspects of Hindu religion. ‘Kalyan’ has published special issues on all Puranas, Upanishads and on many more subjects related to Hindu culture and religion. This magazine still continues to be in publication with approximately 2,50,000 subscribers.
He also published and edited ‘Kalyaan – Kalpataru’ in English from 1934 and the book continues to be in publication.
He was also the founder of Gita Press
, Gorakhpur
.
He wrote many books on spiritual and value–oriented subjects in Hindi and English. His translation of some Upanishads and Puranas in Hindi and English show his command over both languages. In these translations, he has taken care of the communicability of the language to the common people without causing any compromise with their poetic and philosophical heights and depths.
He actively participated in the freedom movement against British rule in India. He was jailed for being in close contact with revolutionaries of Bengal. This proved to be a turning point in his life. After being released from the jail he started publishing and editing ‘Kalyaan’ to reach the spiritual glory and high value oriented heroic deeds of heroes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to the each Indian to feel them spiritually free and proud of their achievements in the past as a source of inspiration to fight for the freedom of India. Mahatma Gandhi praised his work.
Lovingly called as Bhaijee, he was a multifaceted personality. As an editor of the religious magazine 'Kalyan', he is known for his untiring efforts to propagate and disseminate Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religion across the world.
The Government of India issued a postage stamp in his memory in 1992.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar was born in Ratangarh
Ratangarh
Ratangarh is a town in the Churu district in Rajasthan, India. Ratangarh was previously called Kolasar. It is famous for grand havelis with frescoes, which is an architectural speciality of the Shekhawati region...
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. He dedicated his life to make available great epics like the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
and the Upanishads translated in Hindi to the common people at affordable prices.
He started publishing and editing ‘Kalyaan’ monthly Magazine from 1927 in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
with a view to ‘the betterment of life and the well- being of all’ This Magazine is basically dedicated to spirituality and gives wider exposure to the various aspects of Hindu religion. ‘Kalyan’ has published special issues on all Puranas, Upanishads and on many more subjects related to Hindu culture and religion. This magazine still continues to be in publication with approximately 2,50,000 subscribers.
He also published and edited ‘Kalyaan – Kalpataru’ in English from 1934 and the book continues to be in publication.
He was also the founder of Gita Press
Gita Press
The Gita Press is one of the world's largest publishers of Hindu religious texts. It is located in Gorakhpur city of India's Uttar Pradesh state. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyandka for promoting the principles of Sanatana Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar was the founding and the lifetime...
, Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
.
He wrote many books on spiritual and value–oriented subjects in Hindi and English. His translation of some Upanishads and Puranas in Hindi and English show his command over both languages. In these translations, he has taken care of the communicability of the language to the common people without causing any compromise with their poetic and philosophical heights and depths.
He actively participated in the freedom movement against British rule in India. He was jailed for being in close contact with revolutionaries of Bengal. This proved to be a turning point in his life. After being released from the jail he started publishing and editing ‘Kalyaan’ to reach the spiritual glory and high value oriented heroic deeds of heroes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to the each Indian to feel them spiritually free and proud of their achievements in the past as a source of inspiration to fight for the freedom of India. Mahatma Gandhi praised his work.