• Balshastri Jambhekar (1812-1846) was a pioneer of social reforms through journalism in Bombay. He attacked Brahminical orthodoxy and tried to reform popular Hinduism. He started the newspaper Darpan in 1832.

• Known as the ‘Father of Marathi Journalism’, Jambhekar used Darpan to awaken the people to awareness of social reforms, such as widow remarriage and to instil in the masses a scientific approach to life.
• In 1840, he started Digdarshan, which published articles on scientific subjects, as well as history.
• Jambhekar founded the Bombay Native General Library and started the Native Improvement Society of which an offshoot was the Students Literary and Scientific Library.

• He was the first professor of Hindi at the Elphinston College, besides being a director of the Colaba Observatory.