Ramakrishna Vivekananda literature sold books worth 1 cr plus at book fair

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta literature worth more than Rs one crore were sold in the recently concluded 49th edition of International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF).

This clearly shows that the popularity of the philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta is fast growing among the youths which constituted the majority of the visitors at the IKBF.

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The Ramakrishna Mission centres that publish books including the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Advaita Ashrama, Udbodhan, Saradapith had stalls at the IKBF.

The stall by Udbodhan, the Bengali publishing house of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission was designed after Nahabat of Dakshineswar where Ma Sarada lived till Sri Ramakrishna moved out of the temple complex to Kolkata for the treatment of cancer. There was a 10 per cent rise in the books sold by Udbodhan this year. It may be recalled that books worth more than Rs 9 lakh were sold on a day when Sri Mayer Padarpan Divas was celebrated in June 2025.

The visitors stood in long queues to get a copy of Chabite Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, painted by Ramananda Bandyopadhyay. The stall introduced a quirky yet profound section titled Ankibuki. This initiative aimed to weave Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy into everyday lifestyle products, proving that spirituality is not just for the prayer room, it is for the work desk and living room too.

The Proshnottari quiz which was conducted before the Book Fair online had evoked overwhelming response from the younger people. The Alochhaya photography event based on the theme Bahujana Hitaya Bahujana Sukhaya, “for the good of the many”. The photographs were displayed at the stall.

Swami Aryeshananda said: “As the dust settles on the 2026 book fair, Udbodhan stands as a testament to the fact that in an increasingly digital world, the craving for grounded, meaningful literature presented with a touch of artistic grace is only growing stronger.”