Prez Murmu opens Granth Kutir for books, manuscripts in 11 classical languages of India

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday inaugurated a ‘Granth Kutir’ as part of the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s measure to shed colonial legacy and create a dedicated space for about 2,300 books and manuscripts in 11 classical languages of India.

The collection includes works in Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, and reflects India’s rich cultural, philosophical, literary and intellectual heritage, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

It said the ‘Granth Kutir’ (scripture library) houses manuscripts and books covering a wide range of subjects such as epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science and devotional literature, along with the Constitution of India in classical languages.

Around 50 manuscripts, many handwritten on traditional materials like palm leaf, paper, bark and cloth, are also part of the collection.

Till recently, books like A Catalogue of the Original Works of William Hogarth, Speeches of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Summary of the Administration of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Life of Lord Curzon, Punch Magazines and others were housed here, the statement said.

These have now been “relocated” to a separate space within the Rashtrapati estate and these books, a part of the archival collection, have been digitised and will be made available for online access by researcher scholars.

“The objective of Granth Kutir is to enhance public awareness about India’s cultural and literary heritage and align with the national resolve to shed colonial influences,” the statement said.

The initiative also supports the Gyan Bharatam Mission, which aims to preserve, digitise and disseminate India’s vast manuscript heritage by integrating tradition with technology. The Union government had accorded classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali in 2024, taking the total number of classical languages in the country to 11.

The new space has been developed through collaboration with central and state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors and the initiative has been supported by the ministries of education and culture.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is providing professional expertise for the conservation, documentation and display of manuscripts.