Outgrowing colonial shadows: President Murmu inaugurates Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi [India], January 24 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. Granth Kutir has a rich collection of manuscripts and books in 11 classical languages of India-- Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali.
The Granth Kutir showcases India's rich and diverse cultural, philosophical, literary and intellectual heritage. This Kutir has a collection of about 2,300 books in 11 Indian classical languages. The Government of India conferred the 'Classical Language' status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali languages on October 03, 2024. Before that, six languages held the status of classical languages. The Granth Kutir collection covers a wide range of subjects, including epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science, and devotional literature, as well as the Constitution of India in these languages. Around 50 manuscripts are also part of the collection. Many of these manuscripts are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, paper, bark, and cloth.
The Granth Kutir has been developed through collaboration with the central government, state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations, and individual donors from across the country. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and institutions associated with them have supported this initiative. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is providing professional expertise in the management, conservation, documentation and display of manuscripts.
The aim of developing the Granth Kutir is to enhance awareness among the citizens regarding the rich cultural and literary heritage of India. In line with the national resolve to eradicate vestiges of a colonial mindset, Granth Kutir has been developed to showcase the rich heritage through prominent works while promoting the spirit of unity in diversity. Granth Kutir is an attempt to support the vision of Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national initiative to preserve, digitise, and disseminate India's vast manuscript heritage, integrating tradition with technology for future generations.
Earlier, books such as 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. These have now been relocated to a separate space within the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate. These books, a part of the archival collection, have been digitised and will be made available for online access by research scholars.
The visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the works and manuscripts during their tour of Circuit 1 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Also, people can access information about the collection and read books and manuscripts available through the online portal. Researchers can also apply through the portal for physical access to Granth Kutir. Some of the ancient works that have contributed to the classical language status of these languages are Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads in Sanskrit; Gathasaptasati, the earliest known Marathi literary work; the Vinaya Pitaka in Pali which outlines the monastic rules for Buddhist monks; Jain Agamas and Prakrit inscriptions which serve as vital historical records; Charyapadas, ancient Buddhist Tantric texts in Assamese, Bengali and Odia; Tirukkural, classic Tamil treatise on various aspects of life; Mahabharata in Telugu; Kavirajamarga, earliest available work on rhetoric, poetics and grammar in Kannada and Ramacharitam in Malayalam.
Addressing the gathering after the inauguration of the Kutir, the President said that the classical languages have provided the foundation for Indian culture. Knowledge of science, yoga, Ayurveda, and literature composed in India's classical languages has guided the world for centuries. Texts like the Thirukkural and Arthashastra remain relevant even today. Through these languages, subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, Ayurveda and grammar have been developed. Panini's grammar, Aryabhata's mathematics, and the medical science of Charaka and Sushruta continue to amaze the world even today. These classical languages have also made a significant contribution to the development of modern Indian languages. To honour the contributions of these languages and to promote their preservation and development, they have been granted the special status of classical languages.
The President said that the wealth of knowledge accumulated in the classical languages inspires us to learn from our rich past and build a bright future. This combination of heritage and development, which guides us, also underscores the importance of classical languages.
The President said that it is the collective responsibility of all duty-conscious people to preserve and promote the legacy of our languages. Promoting the study of classical languages in universities, encouraging young people to learn at least one classical language, and making more books in these languages available in libraries are crucial to the preservation and promotion of these languages.
The President said that the Granth Kutir is part of a collective effort by Rashtrapati Bhavan to preserve and promote India's classical languages. She expressed confidence that the collection of material related to classical languages will continue to grow in this Kutir. She was also confident that the collection at this Kutir will inspire all visitors, especially the youth, to learn about and understand classical languages.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were the Minister of State for Culture, Rao Inderjit Singh, the Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, subject experts, donors, and state representatives. (ANI)