President Murmu Inaugurates Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan
New heritage space houses 2,300 books in 11 Indian classical languages
- Granth Kutir showcases 2,300 books and rare manuscripts
- Collection spans 11 classical languages of India
- Initiative aligns with Gyan Bharatam Mission
- President stresses heritage as key to future growth
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 23rd Jan: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Friday inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a new cultural space dedicated to preserving and showcasing India’s classical language heritage.
Granth Kutir houses a rich collection of about 2,300 books and around 50 manuscripts in 11 classical languages — Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali. Many of the manuscripts are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, paper, bark and cloth.
The Kutir reflects India’s diverse cultural, philosophical, literary and intellectual traditions. The collection covers a wide range of subjects including epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science, devotional literature and the Constitution of India in classical languages.
The Government of India conferred classical language status on Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali on October 3, 2024, expanding the number of classical languages from six to eleven.
The Granth Kutir has been developed with support from central and state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture have backed the initiative, while the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is providing professional expertise in conservation, documentation and display of manuscripts.
The initiative aligns with the vision of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s vast manuscript heritage by integrating tradition with technology for future generations.
Earlier colonial-era collections housed at the site have been relocated within the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate and digitised for online access by researchers. Visitors will be able to view selected works during guided tours, while scholars can apply through an online portal for physical access.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu said that classical languages have laid the foundation of Indian culture and have guided the world in fields such as science, yoga, Ayurveda, mathematics and grammar. She said the wealth of knowledge in classical languages inspires India to learn from its rich past and build a bright future.
She emphasised that preserving and promoting classical languages is a collective responsibility and called for encouraging young people to learn at least one classical language and for expanding access to classical texts in libraries and universities.
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.
