Illustrator: Ramanand Bhagat 

ISBN: 81-7508-345-X 

Vol. No: 733 

Ghanshyam Das Birla was a great son of India. There is hardly an aspect of national life that he did not enrich by his unique business acumen, patriotic fervour and ardent philanthropy born of his deep personal attachment to Mahatma Gandhi.The large industrial empire built by Ghanshyam Das was looked upon with suspicion by the British government in India. They believed that he was financing the freedom movement. Ghanshyam Das Birla came into contact with Gandhi in 1915 and soon developed a close association. He often acted as Gandhi’s emissary to the British government. Ghanshyam Das was deeply influenced by Gandhi and his beliefs. He made substantial financial contributions to the Mahatma’s constructive social welfare programmes. Ghanshyam Das was also closely associated with other important leaders of his times, like Lokamanya Tilak, Motilal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.He was famous for his philanthropy – building hospitals, temples and schools – and he established institutions for the welfare of Harijans (the “untouchable” class), to whom he permitted entry into the several temples built by him. The Birla Education Trust instituted by him is among the largest private endowment funds for education in India.It is not possible to portray in a small book all the aspects of a multifaceted personality like Ghanshyam Das Birla. This Amar Chitra Katha presents some of the more inspiring milestones in his life.