Annadamangal
Annadamangal
Bharatchandra Ray (ed. Vidyasagar) · 1847
The press's first book, in two volumes
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and his classmate and friend Madan Mohan Tarkalankar set up the Sanskrit Press, Sanskrit Jantra in Bengali, as equal partners in Calcutta in 1847, together with a bookshop, the Sanskrit Press Depository. Their first book was Bharatchandra's Annadamangal, which Vidyasagar edited from a manuscript kept at the Krishnanagar Rajbari.
The press became Vidyasagar's workshop for teaching children to read. Madan Mohan's Shishushiksha primers began in 1849, Bodhoday followed, and in 1855 came Barnaparichay, which replaced the old Shishubodhak and is still read today. Working as a printer also led Vidyasagar to reform Bengali type.
The press printed his Betal Panchabingshati, Kathamala, Shakuntala and Sitar Banabas, his tract on widow remarriage, and books by Akshay Kumar Datta. New editions under the Sanskrit Press Depository name were still appearing in the 1930s.
The house itself is gone. Ask the desk, and we will look for its books in reprint or second-hand.
