India Unbound
Indian Language Periodicals
Before TV and mobile phones, newspapers brought people the news. India's first newspaper was printed more than 200 years ago, and children got magazines of their own too!
Did you know?
India's first printed newspaper, Hicky's Bengal Gazette, came out in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 29 January 1780. It was a weekly paper in English, and it lasted only about two years.
Udant Martand, the first Hindi newspaper, began in Calcutta on 30 May 1826. That is why 30 May is celebrated as Hindi Journalism Day!
Chandamama, a much-loved children's story magazine, began in 1947 in Telugu and Tamil. Later it was published in 13 languages, including English.
Try this: Make a Family Newspaper
Create a one-page newspaper in your mother tongue or a language you are learning. Give it a name. Add a headline, one news story from your home or street, a weather report, a drawing and a small puzzle. Ask family members to be your 'reporters'. Can you bring out a new issue every week?
Go further: News You Can Touch
How do people who are blind read a newspaper? With Braille, a system of raised dots that is read with the fingertips. In 2008, Swagat Thorat started Sparshdnyan, a Marathi newspaper printed in Braille that comes out every two weeks. It lets readers who are blind enjoy the news on their own. Next time you are in a lift, look closely at the buttons. Can you spot any Braille dots?