First printing press on Indian soil was established in Serampore in 1800. It marked the beginning of the end of the ancient manuscript tradition in Bengal and in whole India. This paper briefly outlines the history of manuscripts in India (their writing, collecting and conservation), from the beginnings hidden in the mist of speculations up to the modern age. Main part of the paper is dedicated to the description of the variety of materials and techniques which were used to create manuscripts, and to the description of scribes who made them. At the end the paper outlines the ways of perception of manuscripts in the society and their position in rituals., Ondřej Himmer., and Obsahuje seznam literatury