Classical languages have provided foundation for Indian culture: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Granth Kutir with a rich collection of manuscripts and books in 11 classical languages of India which are Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali here at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

Addressing the gathering after the inauguration of the Kutir, the President said that the classical languages have provided a foundation for Indian culture. Knowledge of science, yoga, Ayurveda, and literature composed in India’s classical languages has guided the world for centuries.

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“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,” she said.

The President said 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 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 is our guiding principle, also underscores the importance of classical languages,” she said.

“It is the collective responsibility of all duty conscious people to preserve and promote the legacy of our languages,” the President said.

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 is crucial to the preservation and promotion of these languages, she said.

Murmu said the Granth Kutir is part of a collective effort by Rashtrapati Bhavan towards the preservation and promotion of India’s classical languages.

She expressed confidence that the collection of material related to classical languages will continue to grow in this Kutir.

The President was also confident that the collection at this Kutir will inspire all visitors, especially the youth, to learn about and understand classical languages.

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 of India.

The Government of India conferred the ‘Classical Language’ status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali languages on October 3, 2024. Before that, six languages had classical language status.

The Granth Kutir collection covers a wide range of subjects such as 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.