India's cultural ethos has a common religious and spiritual foundation from east to west and north to south, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Saturday.
Kovind was addressing the centenary celebrations of Gita Press the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts.
"From east to west and north to south, India's cultural ethos has a common religious and spiritual foundation. Ramayan is popular not only in Hindi but also in Tamil and Gujarati," he said.
India has a long tradition of its rulers following 'Dharm' and 'Anushaasan' (discipline).
"It is said that Dharm and governance move along together and they complement each other. And today, this is visible here. Yogi (Adityanath) ji is the chief minister of this state and also the Gorakshpeeth Peethadhiswar (chief seer). Two things imbibed in one person is a big thing," Kovind said.
The President termed the Gita Press, launched in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Sanatan Dharm, a "temple of literature".
"For an ordinary person like me, the perception was that this was a press. But today, it is seen that the Gita Press is not only a press, it is a temple of literature. The contribution our temples and pilgrimage places have made in saving the 'Sanatan Dharm', a similar contribution has been made by literature which is being published by Gita Press," he said.
The President said, "It is my honour that I am participating in the centenary celebrations of Gita Press. This must be the result of some 'punya' (good work) done in previous births. Before coming here, I also met the staff of the Gita Press. The honesty, dedication and goodwill which I saw in them is unparalleled."
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the press was established in 1923 at a facility rented for Rs 10, "And today, this has assumed the shape of a 'vattvriksha' (banyan tree) and is serving the country with 'dharm' and 'sanskaar' (values)."
In 1955, the then President Rajendra Prasad had inaugurated the main door of the press, he recalled. Governor Anandiben Patel credited Gita Press with giving people easy access to 'Bhagavad Gita' and 'Ramcharitmanas', among other religious texts.
The President later visited the Gorakhnath temple and performed worship there. In the temple campus, folk artists welcomed him with songs and dance and the President got down from his vehicle and went among the artistes to cheer them.
The President fed cows jaggery, roti, and green fodder in the temple Gaushala. After his temple visit, Kovind watched the light and sound show at Naya Savera in Ramgarhtal area.
At Ramgarhtal, he was welcomed by scores of children with placards 'welcome to Gorakhpur honourable president'. The President spent around 10 minutes interacting with the children.
(with inputs from PTI)
