Wealth of knowledge in classical languages inspires a bright future: President Droupadi Murmu

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a dedicated space showcasing India’s classical language heritage through manuscripts and books drawn from across the country.

Granth Kutir houses around 2,300 books and about 50 manuscripts in 11 classical languages—Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali. The collection spans epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science, devotional literature and includes the Constitution of India in these languages. Several manuscripts are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, paper, bark and cloth.

The classical language status was conferred on Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali on October 3, 2024, taking the total number of classical languages in India to 11. The Granth Kutir also highlights ancient works that contributed to this recognition, including the Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads in Sanskrit, Tirukkural in Tamil, Mahabharata in Telugu, Kavirajamarga in Kannada, Ramacharitam in Malayalam, Gathasaptasati in Marathi, Vinaya Pitaka in Pali, Jain Agamas and Prakrit inscriptions, and Charyapadas in Assamese, Bengali and Odia.

The Kutir has been developed through collaboration with central and state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture supported the initiative, while the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is providing professional expertise in conservation, documentation and display of manuscripts.

Addressing the gathering after the inauguration, President Droupadi Murmu said classical languages form the foundation of Indian culture and have guided the world for centuries in fields such as science, yoga, Ayurveda and literature. She said texts like Tirukkural and Arthashastra remain relevant even today and noted the enduring global influence of Panini’s grammar, Aryabhata’s mathematics and the medical science of Charaka and Sushruta.

President Droupadi Murmu said the wealth of knowledge accumulated in classical languages inspires society to learn from the past and build a bright future, adding that this blend of heritage and development is central to India’s national vision. She called upon citizens to collectively preserve and promote linguistic heritage by encouraging the study of classical languages in universities, motivating youth to learn at least one classical language and expanding access to such works in libraries.

She said Granth Kutir reflects Rashtrapati Bhavan’s commitment to preserving and promoting classical languages and expressed confidence that the collection would continue to grow and inspire visitors, especially the youth.

Earlier colonial-era archival books housed in the space, including works related to Lord Curzon and Punch magazines, have been shifted to another location within the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate. These materials have been digitised and will be made available online for researchers.

Visitors can view selected works during the conducted Rashtrapati Bhavan Circuit 1 tour. The collection will also be accessible through an online portal, with researchers able to apply digitally for physical access.

Among those present were Minister of State for Culture Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, subject experts, donors and state representatives.