President Murmu Inaugurates Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan to Celebrate India’s Classical Languages

Five languages — Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali — were accorded Classical Language status on 3 October 2024, expanding the list from six to eleven languages.

 

President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu on Thursday inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a dedicated cultural space showcasing India’s vast literary and intellectual heritage preserved in the country’s 11 classical languages.

The collection at Granth Kutir features manuscripts and books in Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, reflecting the depth and diversity of India’s civilisational knowledge systems.

A Repository of India’s Intellectual Legacy

Granth Kutir houses a collection of around 2,300 books and nearly 50 manuscripts, many of which are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, bark, paper and cloth. The works span a wide range of disciplines, including epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science, devotional literature, and even the Constitution of India translated into classical languages.

Five languages — Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali — were accorded Classical Language status on 3 October 2024, expanding the list from six to eleven languages.

Some of the seminal works represented in the collection include:

• Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas in Sanskrit,

• Gathasaptasati, the earliest known Marathi literary work,

• Vinaya Pitaka in Pali,

• Jain Agamas and Prakrit inscriptions,

• Charyapadas in Assamese, Bengali and Odia,

• Tirukkural in Tamil,

• Mahabharata in Telugu,

• Kavirajamarga in Kannada, and

• Ramacharitam in Malayalam.

Collaborative National Effort

Granth Kutir has been developed through collaboration between Central and State Governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors from across the country. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture supported the initiative, while the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) provided professional expertise in the conservation, documentation, management and display of manuscripts.

The initiative aligns with the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national programme aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage by integrating traditional knowledge with modern technology.

Reclaiming Cultural Identity

The development of Granth Kutir reflects India’s broader resolve to shed colonial-era narratives and foreground indigenous knowledge systems, celebrating unity in diversity through the country’s classical traditions.

Earlier colonial-era collections housed in the space — including works related to Lord Curzon and Punch magazines — have been relocated within the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate. These archival materials have been digitised and will be made available online for research scholars.

Public and Scholarly Access

Visitors will be able to view selected manuscripts and books during conducted tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan (Circuit 1). Additionally, an online portal will provide access to the catalogue, digitised texts and research material. Scholars may also apply through the portal for physical access to Granth Kutir.

President’s Address: Classical Languages as Pillars of Indian Culture

Addressing the gathering, President Murmu said India’s classical languages form the foundation of Indian culture, noting that knowledge systems rooted in science, mathematics, astronomy, Ayurveda, yoga and literature have guided humanity for centuries.

She highlighted the enduring relevance of works such as the Tirukkural and Arthashastra, and cited the global influence of Panini’s grammar, Aryabhata’s mathematics, and the medical sciences of Charaka and Sushruta.

“These classical languages have also played a vital role in the development of modern Indian languages,” the President said, adding that granting classical status is a recognition of their historical and contemporary significance.

Call for Preservation and Youth Engagement

President Murmu emphasised that preserving and promoting classical languages is a collective responsibility, calling for:

• Greater emphasis on classical language studies in universities,

• Encouraging youth to learn at least one classical language, and

• Expanding access to classical texts in libraries.

She expressed confidence that Granth Kutir would continue to grow as a centre of knowledge and inspire visitors — particularly young people — to engage with India’s classical linguistic heritage.

Dignitaries Present

Among those present at the inauguration were Minister of State for Culture Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Education Shri Jayant Chaudhary, subject experts, donors and representatives from various States.