This is the story of Tagore’s first publisher—the man they called a legend in printing. Having learnthis trade at The Pioneer, Chintamoni Ghosh founded the Indian Press on 4 June 1884 in Allahabadwhen he was just thirty years old. It is the story of the Indian Press, yes, but also of the house that Chintamoni Babu built to shelterhis family. A memoir of its times, it evokes the way families once lived together in the great housesof Allahabad—drawn from the recollections of Chintamoni Ghosh’s children and grandchildren whogrew up in an atmosphere few families could claim to have, including royal weddings, dips in theMahakumbh, brushes with political unrest and more. Tagore’s classic Gitanjali was printed at the Indian Press, and the poet himself was a regular visitorto the house the Press built. As Chintamoni Ghosh told his son Hari Keshav, to whom he entrustedthe running of the Press: ‘This is not merely a press. It is a permanent contribution to the nation.’

Publisher: Rupa Publications India

Author: Anjana Basu

Pages: 192

ISBN: 9789353523367

Publication Date: 05 March 2026