India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts – in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and other vernacular languages. Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper. Pages were beautifully illustrated. These manuscripts were bound between wooden covers or sewn together for preservation. Manuscripts were produced in India even after print technology was introduced. Manuscripts were expensive and fragile and had to be handled carefully. It was difficult to read manuscripts as they were written in different styles.