Maharashtra declares October 3 as ‘classical Marathi language day’ amid row

July 4, 2025

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has announced October 3 as ‘Classical Marathi Language Day’ to honor the language’s rich heritage. From October 3 to 9 each year, the week will be observed as ‘Classical Marathi Language Week’ to promote awareness and preservation.

This initiative aims to encourage scholarly engagement and public participation through activities like lectures, seminars, exhibitions of ancient texts, quizzes, and essay competitions. Rare manuscripts and inscriptions will be showcased to connect people with Marathi’s classical roots.

Collectors will head district-level Marathi Language Committees to organize events and submit reports by October 31. The celebrations will be funded from existing departmental budgets, ensuring widespread participation.

This move follows the Centre’s 2024 decision to recognize Marathi and other languages as classical languages. It will boost employment opportunities in areas like research, archiving, translation, and digital media, along with international awards for distinguished scholars.