The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, recently inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a dedicated space showcasing India’s rich classical language heritage through rare books and manuscripts. The collection comprises around 2,300 books and nearly 50 manuscripts across 11 classical languages, including Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali.

The Granth Kutir brings together India’s philosophical, literary, scientific and cultural traditions, with works spanning epics, linguistics, governance, history, devotional literature and science. Several manuscripts are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, bark, cloth and paper. The collection also includes the Constitution of India translated into these classical languages.

In October 2024, the Government of India accorded classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, expanding the list from the earlier six languages. Ancient texts that contributed to this recognition include the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas in Sanskrit; Tirukkural in Tamil; Gathasaptasati in Marathi; Vinaya Pitaka in Pali; Jain Agamas and Prakrit inscriptions; Charyapadas in Assamese, Bengali and Odia; Kavirajamarga in Kannada; Ramacharitam in Malayalam; and the Mahabharata in Telugu.

Developed through collaboration with central and state governments, universities, cultural institutions and individual donors, Granth Kutir has received support from the Ministries of Education and Culture. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has provided professional expertise in manuscript conservation, documentation and display.

The initiative aligns with the Gyan Bharatam Mission, aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage by integrating tradition with technology. Earlier archival collections housed at the site have been relocated, digitised and will be made available online for researchers.

Visitors can view selected works during guided tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan, while researchers may access the collection digitally or apply for physical access through an online portal.

Addressing the gathering, the President highlighted that classical languages form the foundation of Indian civilisation, contributing to advances in mathematics, astronomy, Ayurveda, grammar and philosophy. She emphasised that the accumulated knowledge in these languages inspires society to draw from its past while building a progressive future. The President also called upon educational institutions and citizens to actively promote and preserve classical languages, particularly by encouraging youth engagement.