Hindi Granth Karyalay

Hindi Granth Karyalay is an Indian publishing house and specialist bookseller based in Mumbai, with a primary focus on Jainology, Indology, and the preservation and dissemination of Indian intellectual and literary traditions. Its catalogue spans English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha and related literary languages. The organization combines publishing with bookselling and distribution, maintaining a specialist retail operation that stocks its own publications as well as a much broader selection of Indological and religious works from other publishers. The business was established in Mumbai on 24 September 1912 by Pandit Nathuram Premi under the name Hindi Granth Ratnakar Karyalay. Its origins lay in Premi's earlier involvement with Jain book distribution. After arriving in Mumbai in 1901, he worked as a clerk for the Digambara Jain Tirthakshetra Committee. With the support of Seth Manikchandra, owner of the Hirabaug premises, Premi and Pannalal Bakhliwal began a related Jain publishing and bookselling venture in 1906. The 1912 foundation formalized the Hindi publishing house that later became Hindi Granth Karyalay. The company initially combined Hindi literary publishing with religious and scholarly works. Its first publication was Svadhinata, a Hindi translation of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty prepared by Mahavirprasad Dwivedi. It subsequently issued Hindi translations and editions of works by authors including Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and K. M. Munshi, alongside important Hindi literature by writers such as Munshi Premchand, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Jainendra Kumar, Yashpal, Acharya Chatursen and Sudarshan. The catalogue also helped bring Bengali plays and other regional-language literature to Hindi readers. A major part of the company's historical importance comes from its role in Jain textual scholarship. In memory of Seth Manikchandra, Premi established the Manikchandra Jain Granthamala, a series devoted to systematically edited Jain scriptures. Between 1915 and the 1950s, the series published more than 48 Digambara Jain works, primarily in Prakrit, Apabhramsha and Sanskrit. Premi operated the series on an honorary basis and sold its books at cost, reflecting a preservation and educational mission rather than a purely commercial publishing model. When his health declined, the series was transferred to Bharatiya Jnanpith in Varanasi. After Premi's death in 1960, the publishing legacy continued through his family. His grandson Yashodhar Modi managed the business for decades and worked with his son Manish Modi. The organization is now managed by Manish Modi, Premi's great-grandson. A later institutional initiative, the Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series, extended the original mission by publishing critical, translated and annotated studies of Jainism, philosophy, yoga, language and classical texts. The series has included works by both modern scholars and translations of texts attributed to figures such as Kundakunda, Samantabhadra, Pujyapada, Joindu, Prabhachandra, Vadiraja and Bhavadeva. The present brand therefore occupies a specialized position at the intersection of academic publishing, religious publishing, heritage-text preservation and specialist bookselling. Its output includes monographs, serials, translations, bilingual and trilingual editions, philological studies, literary classics and research works in fields such as religion, philosophy, history, culture, art, architecture, archaeology, linguistics, musicology, mysticism, yoga, tantra, medicine, astronomy and astrology. Reference material describes the house as having published more than 100 works by Indian and international authors and scholars. Its Mumbai bookstore remains an important point of access to its own catalogue and to thousands of other Indological titles.

Hindi Granth Karyalay developed from the Jain publishing and bookselling activity associated with Nathuram Premi in early twentieth-century Mumbai. Premi came to Mumbai in 1901 from Deori in Bundelkhand and initially worked for the Digambara Jain Tirthakshetra Committee. His integrity and intellectual ability earned the confidence of Seth Manikchandra, who offered him accommodation and commercial space at Hirabaug. In 1906, Premi and Pannalal Bakhliwal began the Jain Granth Ratnakar Karyalay, an early venture devoted to Jain books. On 24 September 1912, Premi established Hindi Granth Ratnakar Karyalay at C. P. Tank, Mumbai. The house became a significant Hindi publisher while retaining a strong Jain and scholarly identity. Its first publication was Svadhinata, a Hindi rendering of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty translated by Mahavirprasad Dwivedi. During its early publishing period, the company issued Hindi translations and editions of works by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and K. M. Munshi. It also published important Hindi works by Munshi Premchand and later writers, helping connect readers with literature from Bengali, Gujarati and other Indian traditions. Premi's most enduring contribution was the Manikchandra Jain Granthamala, founded in memory of Seth Manikchandra. The series pursued systematic, philologically informed editions of Digambara Jain scriptures and related classical texts. More than 48 works, largely in Prakrit, Apabhramsha and Sanskrit, were issued through the series. Premi maintained the project on an honorary basis for many years and sold books at cost. As his health deteriorated, responsibility for the series was transferred to Bharatiya Jnanpith in Varanasi. During Premi's lifetime, the publishing house became one of India's leading Hindi publishers. His contribution was later commemorated by admirers including the Hindi novelist Vishnu Prabhakar, who described him as a senior patriarch of Hindi publishing. Premi died on 30 January 1960 after a long period of asthma and declining health. The business remained in the family after his death. His grandson Yashodhar Modi continued the publishing and bookselling tradition, working with his son Manish Modi. Yashodhar Modi died in 2014, after which Manish Modi continued to manage the organization. Under the later family management, the Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series was developed as a vehicle for new translations, studies and editions in Jainology, philosophy and yoga. The series has featured both modern academic research and editions of ancient and medieval works by Jain teachers and authors. The bookstore at 9 Hirabaug, C. P. Tank, Mumbai, serves both as the company's retail location and as a specialist distribution point. In addition to Hindi Granth Karyalay titles, it holds and supplies a large range of Indological literature. The company's catalogue has expanded beyond strictly religious publishing to include works on Indian philosophy, history, culture, arts, architecture, archaeology, language, literature, linguistics, musicology, mysticism, yoga, tantra, occult traditions, medicine, astronomy and astrology. Its continuing role is primarily that of a specialist cultural and scholarly publisher rather than a mass-market commercial imprint.

1. 2014Yashodhar Modi dies

   Yashodhar Modi, who had continued the family business, died in 2014; management continued under his son Manish Modi.

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2. 2005Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series begins

   The later research series began issuing scholarly translations and studies, including The Story of Paesi.

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3. 1960Death of founder Nathuram Premi

   Nathuram Premi died on 30 January 1960. The family subsequently continued his publishing and bookselling legacy.

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4. 1942Jain Sahitya aur Itihas published

   A work by Nathuram Premi, Jain Sahitya aur Itihas, entered the catalogue and was later reissued.

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5. 1915Manikchandra Jain Granthamala established

   Premi created the Jain text series in memory of Seth Manikchandra, beginning a long program of edited editions of Digambara Jain works.

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6. 1912Hindi Granth Ratnakar Karyalay founded

   Nathuram Premi formally founded the publishing house in Mumbai on 24 September 1912.

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7. 1906Early Jain publishing venture begins

   Premi and Pannalal Bakhliwal established the Jain Granth Ratnakar Karyalay at Hirabaug, an important predecessor to the later Hindi publishing house.

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8. 1901Nathuram Premi arrives in Mumbai

   Nathuram Premi moved to Mumbai and began work with the Digambara Jain Tirthakshetra Committee, entering the network of Jain institutions that later supported his publishing career.

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A heritage Indian scholarly publisher and specialist bookseller serving readers, researchers and institutions interested in Jainism, Indology, classical Indian languages, Hindi literature and related fields.

• Manikchandra Jain GranthamalaJain textual scholarship1915

  A historic series established in memory of Seth Manikchandra and devoted to systematically edited Digambara Jain scriptures. Its publications primarily use Prakrit, Apabhramsha and Sanskrit and represent the organization's long-running commitment to preserving and making classical Jain texts available to readers and researchers.

• Pandit Nathuram Premi Research SeriesAcademic and religious research publishing2005

  A modern research imprint named after the founder. It publishes translations, commentaries, edited texts and original scholarship on Jainism, philosophy, yoga, language and related areas. The series includes multilingual editions pairing classical Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha or Braj texts with Hindi, English or Gujarati translations.

• Jain scriptures and classical translationsReligious and classical-text publishing

  The catalogue includes editions and translations of works such as Samadhitantra, Atthapahuda, Tattvarthasutra, Paramatmaprakasha, Yogasara, Ishtopadesha, Dravyasamgraha, Samayasara and related Jain texts. Editions may contain the original classical-language text together with a Hindi or English translation, commentary, glossary or scholarly introduction.

• Indology and Hindi literature catalogueLiterary and scholarly publishing1912

  Beyond Jain studies, the house has published Hindi literature and translations involving authors such as Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, K. M. Munshi and Munshi Premchand. It also distributes a wider range of books concerning Indian religion, history, culture, arts, architecture, archaeology, linguistics, musicology, mysticism, yoga, medicine and related subjects.

1. Hindi Granth Karyalay
2. Hindi Granth Karyalay website