Marathi is not merely a means of communication and language, but a witness to culture and history; Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make Marathi a language of knowledge in the digital age.

Mumbai. Marathi is not merely a medium of communication, but a carrier of our rich culture and a witness to a vibrant history. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted that Marathi, endowed with a vast vocabulary, a rich literary tradition, and the legacy of various dialects, will be further empowered in the 21st century as a digital and knowledge language.

He also called for increasing the use of Marathi not only in daily transactions but also in modern fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, quantum computing, space technology, and biotechnology.

On the backdrop of Marathi being accorded the status of a classical language, the ‘Classical Marathi Language Week’ and ‘Classical Marathi Language Honor Day’ events were enthusiastically inaugurated at the Patkar Hall of Shri Nathi Bai Damodar Thackeray Women’s University in Chharchgate. During the special ceremony, Fadnavis spoke. Present were Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Marathi Language and Industry Minister Dr. Uday Samant, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, the university’s Vice‑Chancellor Dr. Hemlata Bagla, Secretary of the Marathi Language Department Kiran Kulkarni, along with dignitaries, teachers, students and Marathi enthusiasts.

*The conferment of classical language status on Marathi is a moment of pride*

Marathi is indeed ancient and classical; however, Fadnavis said that receiving official recognition as a classical language from the central government is a moment of pride for Marathi speakers. He noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the granting of classical language status to Marathi has given Maharashtra’s linguistic and cultural heritage a specially highlighted position at the national level. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj gave importance to the mother tongue along with the concept of Swarajya. He made efforts to increase the use of Marathi in governance, which gave a new direction to its administrative usage, Fadnavis recalled.

*The need to expand Marathi’s vocabulary*

Stating that Marathi ranks 13th among the most spoken languages in the world, Chief Minister Fadnavis said that Marathi is a global language. He mentioned that the Marathi encyclopedia and the “Shabdaratnakara” compiled in the 20th century contain between 11 and 13 lakh words. In comparison, the Oxford dictionary has about six lakh words, while languages such as Mandarin, Spanish and French have roughly three to three and a half lakh words. The Marathi dictionary published by the state government currently contains about three lakh words. He emphasized the need to prepare further editions to raise the vocabulary to 13 lakh words.

While referring to Marathi’s rich lexicon, Fadnavis highlighted the importance of the tradition of Marathi encyclopedias and dictionaries. Millions of Marathi words have been recorded in various lexicons, reflecting the language’s rich linguistic heritage. This lexical richness of Marathi should not remain merely a matter of pride but should also find effective use in modern knowledge creation. If concepts from science, technology, economy, education and research become available in Marathi, the language will truly become a language of knowledge, he clarified.

*Connecting with the new era through ‘Marathi AI’*

Digital technology is rapidly changing the mediums of communication. In such a scenario, Fadnavis said, it is necessary to link Marathi with new technologies rather than limiting it to traditional usage. Through ‘Marathi AI’, increasing the effective use of Marathi in the field of artificial intelligence, making information and knowledge content available in Marathi on digital platforms, and producing high‑quality Marathi content on OTT platforms and social media on a large scale are essential, he noted.

He also expressed the belief that if knowledge material in Marathi becomes available in cutting‑edge fields such as quantum computing, space technology and biotechnology, the new generation will have the opportunity to assimilate modern knowledge through their mother tongue.

*The sweet essence of dialects must be preserved*

Fadnavis said that, along with Marathi, the dialects spoken in various parts of Maharashtra are an invaluable treasure of Marathi. Dialects such as Konkani, Varhadi, Khandeshi‑Ahirani, Malvani, Dangi and Zadi boli contain local culture, folk traditions and life experiences. Therefore, he expressed the need to preserve the literature, folk traditions and linguistic features of these dialects.

He also made a special mention of Marathi theater culture. Many generations have kept the rich tradition of Marathi theater alive despite the limited means of modern technology. Artists have given Marathi theater a distinct identity through their acting, writing and experimentation. Fadnavis mentioned that this theatrical tradition is a feature of Marathi's cultural strength.

*Conservation of Marathi through daily life*

The preservation and conservation of Marathi is not limited to government activities but every Marathi speaker must contribute to it through his daily activities. Marathi should be used more and more in all areas like home, education, administration, business, technology and social media. Fadnavis appealed that it is a collective responsibility to make Marathi a competent knowledge language of the future by combining the pride of tradition and modern technology.

*Next World Marathi Literature Conference also in London*
*- Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde*

Our My Marathi is not only the identity of Maharashtra, but our pride. Marathi, steeped in a rich tradition from Saint Dnyaneshwar to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has now reached across the seven seas and is resounding all over the world. The state government is determined to make Marathi language spread faster in the future as well. The new generation should connect with Marathi by increasing the use of Marathi in modern fields like digital world, social media, podcasts, gaming and coding. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed that there is a resolution to promote and increase the spread of Marathi in more than 50 countries of the world, besides setting up 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Global Marathi Center' in London, the next World Marathi Literature Conference will also be held in London.
There are about 70 to 80 thousand Marathi brothers living in London, and activities like Marathi education, curriculum and certificate exams are being implemented through the Maharashtra Mandal. He said that work is also going on to establish a 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Universal Marathi Center' in London and the building of Maharashtra Mandal has been purchased. In order to promote the culture of reading, Shinde appealed to inculcate a new culture of gifting Marathi books instead of giving bouquets on birthdays, felicitations or other happy occasions. Shinde said that work is going on to promote Marathi language and reading culture through various activities like Marathi Language Policy, 'Village of Books', 'Village of Poetry'.

*'Marathi Global Center' in London, Dictionary of 100 Dialects*
*-Uday Samant*

The state government is committed to preserving, promoting and expanding the Marathi language and culture globally, and many ambitious initiatives have been undertaken for the all-round development of Marathi. Industry and Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant informed that work is underway to set up a 'Center of Excellence' for Marathi language at Deccan University in Pune, a 'Marathi Global Center in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj' in London, 100 dictionaries of various dialects of the state and 'Marathi Skills Development Center' at nine locations.

Various activities are being implemented to increase communication with Marathi brothers abroad. Samant informed that on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, 'Namo Samvad' program has been started in 75 countries and online training is also being arranged for Marathi brothers abroad. He said that the number of international Marathi forums has reached 52 at present and the aim is to increase it to 75 soon. Through this, efforts will be made to strengthen the network of communication among Marathi speakers around the world. Taking note of the long-term demand of literary people, Samant said that the work of constructing 'Sahitya Museum' and state-of-the-art 'Marathi Bhasha Bhavan' is going on at a fast pace by the state government. The aim of these initiatives is to preserve the heritage of Marathi literature, document the contributions of literary figures and create modern centers that connect citizens with Marathi literature and culture. He mentioned that activities like 'Village of Books' and 'Village of Poetry' are being effectively implemented at Airoli sub-centre.

*Emphasis on Digitization along with Research of Classical Marathi; Youth should actively participate in the rich journey of Marathi*
*- Secretary Kiran Kulkarni*

The flow of Marathi language has not only started from the time of Dnyaneshwar Maharaj or Chakradhar Swami, but its rich tradition has continued since 'Gatha Saptashati' about two and a half thousand years ago. Marathi Language Department is committed to research, preserve and transfer this long linguistic heritage to the new generation through modern technology, said Kiran Kulkarni, Secretary of Marathi Language Department.

After Marathi was granted the status of a classical language, Kulkarni said that in the past two years work has begun at various levels to bring its classical nature, linguistic tradition and wealth of knowledge to the general public. He clarified that this year, especially with youth at the center, emphasis is being placed on the spread and conservation of Marathi. The encyclopedia creation work, which began under the guidance of Tarktirth Lakshman Shastri Joshi, has now been given a modern technological touch. The work of making the encyclopedia’s wealth of knowledge available in digital form to the general public is proceeding rapidly, and Kulkarni said that from this month the encyclopedia will be fully available in digital form on a portal.

At the beginning of the program, distinguished guests were welcomed by presenting a book. This time the book “Marathi’s Praise Part‑2” was published. After that a cultural program based on the concept of “Classical Marathi, Pride Marathi” was also presented.
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