Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya

Who was Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya?

Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya was an Indian journalist, teacher and reformer. He was born in Bahara village, near Serampore. He started his career as a compositor in the Baptist Mission Press, Serampore. But later on he shifted to Calcutta. In 1816, he edited the earliest illustrated book published in Bengali language, the Annadamangal, printed in the Ferris and Company press, Calcutta. The two illustrations in this book were engraved by Ramachand Roy. In 1818, he set up a printing press in Calcutta, the Bengal Gazette Press for printing Bengali books. Probably Harachandra Roy, who also hailed from Serampore, was his partner. The works written or edited by him and printed in this press include: A Grammar in English and Bengalee Language, Daybhag, Drabyagun and Chikitsarnab.

In Calcutta, he started a business of publication and selling of books. Serampore’s Samachar Darpan,wrote highly of him. Apart from the few books he wrote, Gangabhaktitarangini, Lakshmicharitra, Betal Panchabingshati, Chanakya Sloka and a collaborated work by Lallu Lal and Ram Mohan Roy, were published by him.