Motilal Banarsidass
In 1903, Lala Motilal Jain stood in Said Mitha Bazar of Lahore with a small sum of money. He had borrowed just 27 rupees from his wife's savings to start a bookshop selling Sanskrit books. His wife had earned that money through her knitting work. The family traced their lineage back to court jewellers who served Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar. This humble beginning marked the birth of what would become one of India's most significant academic publishing houses.
The Partition of India brought violent riots that destroyed the original shop in Lahore. The family fled and initially stayed at Bikaner and Patna before moving to Varanasi in 1950. They set up a new shop there in 1951 and finally shifted their base to Delhi in 1958. A branch opened in Patna in 1937 at the suggestion of Rajendra Prasad. After the death of Lala Banarasidass in 1912, Sundarlal Jain closed an establishment in Amritsar and relocated to Lahore to manage the family business. Soon he was joined by his young nephew Shantilal Jain, who eventually became chairman.
Shantilal Jain received the Padma Shri award from the government of India in 1992 for outstanding community service through publishing. Today Leela Jain serves as the company's Chairperson alongside her son Narendra Prakash Jain, widely known as Prakash. His four brothers and their sons also run the business together. The transition from founder generations to current leadership has maintained the family's control over operations. This continuity allowed them to develop an in-house printing unit, making Motilal Banarsidass one of the few large publishing houses globally with such capabilities.
The publisher produces serials including 100 volumes of the Mahapuranas and 50 volumes of Sacred Books of the East edited by Max Müller. Bibliotheca Buddhica contains 30 volumes across 32 parts while Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies spans 7 volumes. Other major works include Ramcharitmanas with Hindi and English translations plus the Manusmriti in 10 volumes. The house maintains around 30,000 titles of Indological literature at its main office in New Delhi located at A-44 Naraina Industrial Area Phase-1. Their output includes books based on research conducted at organizations like the Indian Council of Historical Research and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
In 2003 the company celebrated its centenary at a function held in Chennai where Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi honored three Sanskrit scholars. R Balasubramaniam B M K Sharma and K V Sharma received recognition during this event. Another function held at Bangalore saw Governor of Karnataka T N Chaturvedi felicitate centenarian Sudhakar Chaturvedi along with S M S Chari and B K Krishnamurthy of Hyderabad. Astrologer B V Raman was honored posthumously at these celebrations marking one hundred years since the original establishment. The Times of India reported on the 24th of June 2002 that the publisher had turned approximately 5 to 6 crore annually with roughly 75 percent coming from exports.
Common questions
When did Lala Motilal Jain start the bookshop that became Motilal Banarsidass?
Lala Motilal Jain started the bookshop in 1903 with a borrowed sum of 27 rupees from his wife's savings. The shop was located in Said Mitha Bazar of Lahore and sold Sanskrit books.
Where is the main office of Motilal Banarsidass publishing house located today?
The publisher maintains its main office at A-44 Naraina Industrial Area Phase-1 in New Delhi. This location houses around 30,000 titles of Indological literature.
Who received the Padma Shri award for community service through publishing from Motilal Banarsidass?
Shantilal Jain received the Padma Shri award from the government of India in 1992 for outstanding community service through publishing. He eventually became chairman of the company after joining his uncle Sundarlal Jain.
What major serials does Motilal Banarsidass publish including works by Max Müller?
The publisher produces serials including 100 volumes of the Mahapuranas and 50 volumes of Sacred Books of the East edited by Max Müller. Other major works include Bibliotheca Buddhica containing 30 volumes across 32 parts and Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies spanning 7 volumes.
When did Motilal Banarsidass celebrate its centenary and where was the function held?
In 2003 the company celebrated its centenary at a function held in Chennai where Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi honored three Sanskrit scholars. The Times of India reported on the 24th of June 2002 that the publisher had turned approximately 5 to 6 crore annually with roughly 75 percent coming from exports.