Assam gets pride of place as 'Granth Kutir' showcases classical Assamese manuscripts at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Assam marked a significant cultural milestone on January 23 as the classical heritage of the Assamese language found prominent representation at Granth Kutir, a newly inaugurated manuscript and book repository at Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

The archive was inaugurated on January 23, 2026, by the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, and features rare manuscripts and books from 11 Indian languages that have been accorded classical status, including Assamese.

The inclusion of Assamese manuscripts at Granth Kutir comes little over a year after the Government of India conferred classical language status on Assamese on October 3, 2024. The repository houses around 2,300 books and nearly 50 manuscripts across Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, reflecting India’s vast cultural, philosophical and literary traditions. Several of the manuscripts are handwritten on traditional materials such as palm leaf, bark, cloth and handmade paper.

Granth Kutir has been conceived as a dedicated space to preserve and showcase India’s intellectual heritage, covering subjects ranging from epics, philosophy and linguistics to science, governance, history and devotional literature, including the Constitution of India in classical languages. Ancient works that contributed to the classical status of these languages, such as the Charyapadas in Assamese, Bengali and Odia, form an important part of this legacy.

Developed through collaboration among central and state governments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations and individual donors, the project has received support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is providing professional expertise in conservation, documentation, management and display of the manuscripts.

Addressing the gathering after the inauguration, President Murmu said that India’s classical languages form the foundation of the country’s culture and have guided the world for centuries through knowledge systems such as science, Ayurveda, yoga, mathematics, astronomy and literature. She noted that the wisdom preserved in these languages continues to remain relevant and has significantly contributed to the development of modern Indian languages.

The President emphasised that preserving and promoting classical languages is a collective responsibility and called for greater encouragement of classical language studies in universities, increased availability of classical texts in libraries, and motivating the youth to learn at least one classical language. She expressed confidence that Granth Kutir would continue to grow as a centre of inspiration, especially for younger generations.

The initiative aligns with the national vision of shedding colonial legacies and promoting unity in diversity, and supports the Gyan Bharatam Mission aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage by integrating tradition with technology. Visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan will be able to view select manuscripts during guided tours, while researchers can access digitised materials through an online portal and apply for physical access when required.

Earlier colonial-era collections housed at the site have been relocated within the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate and digitised for online access. Among those present at the inauguration were Minister of State for Culture Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, subject experts, donors and representatives of various states.