Padma Vibhushan To Late Radheshyam Khemka: Here's A Profile Of The Man Who Edited 'Kalyan' For Close To 40 Years

The late Radheshyam Khemka of Gita Press, was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously by the Government of India for his valuable contribution in the field of literature and education. He was Chairman of the Gita Press Trust Board and Chief Editor of Kalyan. Khemka, aged 86, died on 3 April 2021 at Kedar Ghat in Kashi (Varanasi).

A life devoted to his cause

Radheshyam Khemka, who served the Gita Press for almost 40 years, edited many religious magazines- the most prominent one being Kalyan.

Radheshyam Khemka was the chairman of the Gita Press Trust Board from the year 2014 till his death. In the year 2002, he established a ‘Veda Vidyalaya’ in Kashi for children in the age group of 8 to 12 years. In Varanasi, he was also associated with various socio-religious organizations like the Marwari Seva Sangh, Mumukshu Bhawan, Shri Ram Laxmi Marwari Hospital Godaulia, Birla Hospital Machodari, and Kashi Gaushala Trust.

Khemka first edited the Kalyan magazine’s November and December issue in the year 1982.

Eventually, he became the full-time editor of Kalyan in March 1983 and continued till April 2021. Even at the age of 86, he edited the April 2021 issue of Kalyan, just days before he passed away.

Under his editorship, 38 annual special issues and 460 monthly issues of Kalyan were published. During this period, 9,54,46,000 copies of the magazine were printed. In Kalyan, authentic editions of Puranas and series on rituals and rites were also published under Khemka’s editorship.

He wrote articles in various magazines as well as authored, edited and translated several booksl. A few of his works include Jivanacharya: The Indian Way of Life, Shiv Puran Katha Sar, Shakti Peeth Darshan, Karpatri-Swami Ek Jeevan Darshan, Sanskar Prakash, Ganesh Stotra Ratnakar, Matsya Purana Uttarardh, and Goseva (co-authored with Shri Hanuman Prasad Poddar).

‘Samajik Sanyasi’

Khemka spent most of his time in Kashi but would go to Gorakhpur often for work.

Throughout his lifetime, Khemka remain in close contact with saints like Swami Karpatri Maharaj, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Niranjan Dev Teerth, and the current Peethadheeshwar Swami Nischalananda, and Katha Vyas Ramchandra Dongre etc.

Radheshyam Khemka had a dharmic bent of mind since childhood. For over 60 years, he practiced the month-long Kalpwas during the Magh Mela in Kashi. He considered the river Ganga to be a goddess and a mother, and for the last several years of his life, he was said to drink only Gangaajal.

Many leaders including Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan among others expressed happiness over news of Padma Vibhushan being awarded to Radheshyam Khemka.