Among Hindus
Print fostered the reading of religious books among Hindus as well, particularly in vernacular languages. In 1810, the first printed edition of Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas was published in Calcutta. Cheap lithographic editions inundated north Indian markets by the mid-nineteenth century. Numerous religious books in vernaculars were published by the Nawal Kishore Press in Lucknow and the Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay beginning in the 1880s. These could be easily read by the faithful at any time and place because they were printed and portable. They might also be read aloud in front of huge audiences of illiterate men and women.
As a result, religious literature reached a large number of people, sparking discussions, disputes, and controversies within and between religions. Print not only encouraged the printing of opposing viewpoints inside communities, but it also linked communities and people across India. Newspapers disseminated information from one location to another, resulting in the formation of pan-Indian identities.
Religious Reform and Public Debates
Print can be found in books, journals, newspapers, and prints of famous paintings, as well as in everyday goods like theatrical programs, official circulars, calendars, diaries, advertisements, and street corner theatre posters. We read printed literature, see printed images, get news from newspapers, and keep track of public debates in print.
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