In an extraordinary tribute to India’s linguistic and journalistic heritage, Dr. Ashok Pandey ‘Gulshan’, a passionate archivist from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, has built a monumental collection of 12,634 different Hindi newspapers published under 655 distinct titles from across various Indian states.
This one-of-a-kind collection stands as a living chronicle of regional voices, cultural perspectives, and the evolution of Hindi journalism over the decades. Sourced from cities, towns, and rural heartlands, the newspapers reflect the rich diversity of thought and reportage in India’s most widely spoken language.
“What began as a hobby has grown into a mission to preserve the pulse of Hindi journalism across time and geography,” said Dr. Pandey, a poet and scholar who is affectionately known in literary circles as ‘Gulshan’.
His collection includes:
- Rare and discontinued Hindi newspapers from remote regions
- Editions representing political, literary, religious, and social viewpoints
- Historic issues documenting landmark events such as elections, independence anniversaries, and national crises
Dr. Pandey meticulously catalogs each edition, preserving not only the physical copies but also their editorial styles, masthead designs, and regional idioms. His archive is increasingly attracting the interest of researchers, language scholars, and journalism students.
Now aiming to digitize the archive and open it for public viewing, Dr. Pandey envisions establishing a Hindi Newspaper Heritage Centre to inspire future generations to appreciate and study India’s vibrant media legacy.
