The Caxton of the East: How Newal Kishore Press Shaped a Civilisation

In 1858, a young Munshi Newal Kishore set up a printing press in Hazratganj, Lucknow. What followed over the next 125 years was nothing short of extraordinary — a publishing house that would go on to produce over 5,000 texts across 14 languages, earning the title 'Caxton of the East' from European scholars.

From the Ramayana to the Quran, from Indian law texts to Mughal history, the Newal Kishore Press shaped how an entire civilisation understood itself. At Le Press Galleria, that legacy is not archived — it is activated.

Today, the restored campus in Hazratganj stands as a living tribute to this extraordinary heritage. The Print Room workshops, the archival exhibitions, the ongoing museum project — all of these are direct descendants of what Munshi Newal Kishore started in 1858.