''Janmabhoomi'' (જન્મભૂમિ) is an Indian Gujarati-language evening daily

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...

, owned by the Saurashtra Trust. It is headquartered in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

Maharastra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdivi ...

. ''Janmabhoomi'' was launched in 1934 as an

evening paper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...

The newspaper publishes 10-12 pages every day, including an editorial page and an op-ed page. The motto of the newspaper is 'जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी' (Mother and motherland are superior to Heaven).

History

''Janmabhoomi'' was founded by Indian freedom fighter Amritlal Sheth, who also founded Saurashtra Trust in 1931. Initially, Amrithal created an English language paper named ''The Sun'', which performed poorly. On 9 June 1934, Amritlal started publishing ''Janmabhoomi'' in Gujarati as a nationalist publication. The paper was supportive of

Gandhism Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of M.K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance. The term " ...

and instituted a policy of avoiding sensationalist journalism.

Jhaverchand Meghani Jhaverchand or Zaverchand Kalidas Meghani ( – ) was an Indian poet, writer, social reformer and freedom fighter. He is a well-known name in the field of Gujarati literature. He was born in Chotila where the Government College has been rename ...

, a popular Gujarati nationalist poet, has been connected to the paper since its inception. Initially, the paper became the face of the movement against the oppression of the Kathiawar Princely States. By covering news of the Burma Campaign and stories relating to the

Indian National Army The Indian National Army (INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a collaborationist armed force formed by Indian collaborators and Imperial Japan on 1 September 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. Its aim was to secure In ...

(Azad Hind fauj), the paper reached national status. In 1979, the newspaper started a morning edition under the name ''Pravasi''. On Sundays, the newspaper's morning and evening editions are published together under the consolidated masthead ''Janmabhoomi Pravasi.'' In the 1970s, the newspaper had a circulation of 45,000 to 50,000 copies. During the 1980s, circulation dropped to 40,000. The first feminist Novel of Gujarati ''Batris Putalini Vedatiya'' by

Ila Arab Mehta Ila Arab Mehta (born 16 June 1938) is a Gujarati novelist and story writer from Gujarat, India. Biography Mehta was born on 16 June 1938 at Bombay (now Mumbai) to Gujarati writer Gunvantrai Acharya. Her family belonged to Jamnagar. She complet ...

was popularized in a Sunday edition of the paper. Another feminist Novel ''Saat Pagla Aakashamaa'' written by

Kundanika Kapadia Kundanika Kapadia (11 January 1927 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian novelist, story writer and essayist from Gujarat. Biography Kundanika Kapadia was born on 11 January 1927 in Limbdi (now in Surendranagar district, Gujarat) to Narottamdas Kapad ...

also gained attention from the paper.

Editors

Editors in chief of the Janmabhoomi Group of Newspapers have included Harindra Dave and Kanti Bhatt (1967-1977).

References

{{Newspapers in India Gujarati-language newspapers published in India Publications established in 1934 1934 establishments in India Newspapers published in Mumbai