President Murmu inaugurates ‘Granth Kutir’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The Rashtrapati Bhavan will have a dedicated space showcasing India’s vast literary and intellectual heritage preserved in its classical languages. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Granth Kutir on Friday, January 23, 2026. The newly inaugurated Kutir houses a curated collection of around 2,300 books and manuscripts in 11 classical languages of India. The collection spans Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali. Five of these – Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali – were accorded classical language status by the Government of India in October 2024, expanding the list from the earlier six. Granth Kutir reflects India’s rich cultural, philosophical and scholarly traditions, with works covering epics, philosophy, linguistics, history, governance, science and devotional literature. The collection also includes copies of the Constitution of India in classical languages and around 50 rare manuscripts, many handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaves, paper, bark and cloth. The Kutir has been developed through a collaborative effort involving central and state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture supported the initiative, while the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is providing professional expertise in the conservation, documentation and display of manuscripts.
Granth Kutir is aligned with the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national initiative aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage by integrating tradition with modern technology. Visitors will be able to view selected works during guided tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Circuit 1, while researchers can access the collection through an online portal and apply for physical access when required.Minister of State for Culture Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, subject experts, donors and state representatives were among those present at the inauguration.