Shut decades ago, Lucknow’s iconic Newal Kishore Press revived
The iconic Newal Kishore Press (NKP) in Lucknow, India has been revived after being shut for over two decades. The press, which opened in 1858 and was the largest privately owned printing firm in Asia, has been restored and modernized by the Kishore family without constructing any new structures. The family plans to open a dedicated museum and heritage market at the location, with luxury retail, fine dining, and shops of Awadhi cuisine, as well as events such as literary festivals and book launches. The NKP was instrumental in promoting literature and giving employment during the freedom struggle.
Over two decades after it was shut for a number of reasons, the iconic Newal Kishore Press (NKP) in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area has been revived, albeit in a modern way under a novel name, with plans for a dedicated museum and a heritage market.
Opened in 1858 by Munshi Newal Kishore (MNK), hailed as the “Prince of Print”, the press had become synonymous with the city’s cultural identity and a source of livelihood for many after the 1857 uprising.
Now, the scions of the Kishore family have restored the legacy without breaking or constructing any new structure on the premises, built with Lakhori bricks on over one lakh square feet area.
Old brick pathways were reinstated, green landscaping was added and ample space created for vehicle parking.
“We have only tried to modernise the press to keep its historic essence and hence, named the entire premises “Le Press,” said great-great granddaughter of Munshi Newal Kishore, Nimmi Dube nee Bhargava, who belongs to the Jaunpur royal family.
From brainstorming to architectural designing, the entire restoration work has been done by the family itself. The revival has been made possible due to the relentless efforts of Dube, her two daughters Rajika Thareja and Aparajita Vatsa, and her sons-in-law Rajat Thareja and Gaurav Vatsa.
“The city may have reduced his name to a road today but in the 19th century, Munshi Newal Kishore was the ‘Prince of Print’ as the press founded in 1858 was the largest privately owned printing firm in Asia. Reviving this property is only a humble tribute to his contribution in the printing sector so that the younger generations know about him,” Dube said.
She explained that the location would be a one-stop destination where Lucknowites could dine, shop, and experience history in a modern setting.
The work began before Covid, but nearly all of it is completed now.
A dedicated museum will also come up at ‘Le Press’ where old manuscripts, printing machines, lithostones and typecasts used for printing in the past along with a few books published at the press will be kept. Some old and rare pictures of Munshi Newal Kishore will also adorn the walls.
According to the family, the idea of the ‘Le Press’ is to make it a heritage market and a one-stop destination with a combination of luxury retail, including international brands, fine dine and some shops of Awadhi cuisine to tap the tourism potential in Lucknow.
“There will be designer boutique shops, international designer shops, Lucknow’s art such as chikankari and zardozi, Moradabad’s brass and Bhadohi’s carpet. Some shops will also have authentic Awadhi food. Functions on Awadhi culture such as Qawwali will also be a part of it to attract tourist attention,” said Dube.
“Le Press shall have literary festivals, book launch events and young writers’ space to continue the legacy of the press,” Dube said.
Munshi Newal Kishore was born on January 3, 1836 and the NKP founded by him published books in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, and Hindi on a variety of subjects, including religion, ethics, literature, medicine, and history. The press played an instrumental role in promoting literature and giving employment to people
“After the 1857 uprising, there were no jobs in India, NKP back then was able to give employment to many. Similarly, with its revival, it will provide jobs to so many people,” said Dube.
She also said that the press contributed to the preservation and dissemination of Islamic religious texts, Unani medicine, works on Indo-Muslim historiography, and the traditional Persian and Urdu qissa and dastan narrative forms. The press also published, and produced translations of, Sanskrit texts, and promoted the Puranas (Hindu religious texts) in Hindi and Urdu.
According to historians, Munshi Newal Kishore, a Hindu, made his mark on Quran publishing history. In 1868, he was presumably the world’s first publisher to release a finely lithographed Quran at a price of one rupee and eight annas. This was the first time the Quran was made available to ordinary readers, inviting Muslims of all socioeconomic backgrounds to own their own copy of the Quran. There are still stories about Munshi requiring all daftari workers to perform the wuzu, or ablutions, before beginning work on binding the Quran.
Through its newspaper Avadh Akhbar, the NKP also contributed to Urdu journalism. In 1877, Avadh Akhbar became the first daily Urdu-language newspaper in northern India. The newspaper became popular, and achieved commercial success. Over almost a century, the Newal Kishore Press published some 12,000 titles. Approximately 5,000 of these were issued during Newal Kishore’s lifetime. The press was shut down in 2000 due to lack of response from the readers.
