Motilal Banarsidass Heritage Publishers

Author(s): Marwar India
Publisher: Marwar India

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ISTRIDES
GEET
Clack from contre Leela Jain, Rajeen Jain, Rasi Jain, Rajendra Jain and Jaindra Jain
ERENCE WORL
HERITAGE PUBLISHERS
Text Lipi Mehta
Phaph Arkaprava Ghosh
Apart from being the world's largest publisher of philosophy, religion and Indology. Motilal Banarasidass Publishers is a company whose roots are embedded In a rich legacy, while its day-to-day operations embrace latest trends.
IN THE YEAR 1903, Motilal Jain and his son Banarsidass, parted ways from their family businessthey were reputed jewellers in the court of the Sikh
maharaja Ranjit Singh-and started a small bookshop with a meagre capital of *27 at Said Mitha Bazaar in Lahore, erstwhile Punjab. The books were varied and represented the keen interest in religion and philosophy that the two men harboured. Unbeknownst to them, the
coming century would see this bookshop transform into Motilal Banarsidass
Publishers (MLBD), the world's largest publisher of books on religion, philosophy and lodology.
The years after the Partition saw the major operations of this business being divided among the five grandsons of Banarsidass, and the eldest, Narendra Jain, headed the business until his unfortunate demise in March last year. Today, the four brothers work from their sprawling 5,000-sq ft flagship store in Delhi while matriarch Leela Jain serves as chairperson of the company.
Writings of value
In most bookstores today, academics and
lovers of literature discover that books which catch their attention are few and far in between, what with fast-selling, generic reads and a gamut of electronics and stationery taking up a majority of the space. In such a scenario, the nine MLBD bookstores across the country provide a novel experience to camest readers.
Since its inception, MLBD has published approximately 5,000 books, with 60 new titles being published each year along with around 100 reprints. In an age where the Internet is the preferred source of information, this publishing house has proven to be an example of unfazed tradition. Educational institutes and universities across India stock its titles
aplenty in their libraries. The Library of Congress (USA) has made MLBD its authorised dealers for supplying works on Indology. Other noteworthy clients
such as South Asia Books (Columbia). Jagdish Sanskrit Pustakalaya and Vedic Books stand testimony to the publishing house's varied and supreme quality of contem. A typical MLBD bookstore is characterised by wooden shelves and panels upon which the books have been
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carefully segregated into sections such as health and medicine, tantra, astrology and 'Geeta'. According to director of publishing, Rajeev Jain, scrupulous attention to detail is paid in sifting through and selecting content for new releases. Out of the 50-60 manuscripts which are received each month, only five or six are published. With writers such as Vedic scholar David Frawley and Paul Dundas, a member of the renowned Pali Test Society, MLBD's repertoire spans countries and continents. Prints of tests such as Shri Ramcharitmanas are in demand while coveted titles include a 100-volume translation of the Maha Puranas and a 28-volume encyclopaedia of Indian philosophies.
Embracing the present
While their niche content would be
perceived as an anomaly by masses at large, the Jain brothers treat it as their USP. "I still feel there is scope and opportunity for the topics we publish. Books on yoga, Ayurveda, meditation and related fields are constantly in demand because of which our industry cannot decline completely. Slow yet sustained growth can be seen at MLBD as a result of our fair dealings with customers