rinting came to India serendipitously. In 1556, a Portuguese ship was put into Goa for victualling. Aboard were 14 Jesuits bound for Abyssinia (today’s Ethiopia) and a printing press. One of them, Joao de Bustamente, a Spaniard, was a Printer. He was accompanied by an assistant of Indian origin. The clergy in Goa felt their need for a printing press was greater than Abyssinia’s and, so requested the Governor-General to make the press available to them..The press was taken over and sent with Bustaments to the College of St. Paul, a seminary that

still exists in Goa.  The press was used by the Christian missionaries for printing Biblical propaganda material.

Again, printing in India revived only in the early 18th century. The beginnings were again serendipitous. In 1620, the Danish East India Company obtained from the Rajah of Tanjore the grant of a 25-square mile coastal territory called Tarangambadi, which the Danes called Tranquebar. Mono colour hand press, type set machines primarily of German origin served this region.

It was here that modern printing was revived – to spread throughout India. They eventually had the grandest of Printing Presses including ones like the Columbians and Albions. A few of these have today found home in The STEVE BORGIA INDIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM.