Gandhinagar: On the occasion of World Gujarati Language Day, which falls on August 24 and marks the birthday of Shri Narmad, the Gujarat government announced the establishment of the Bhakt Kavi Narsinh Mehta International Research Center. This center will aim to safeguard the valuable manuscripts and literary works of medieval Gujarati poets.

With an investment of ₹15 crore, the research center will be constructed on a five-acre plot within the Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University campus in Junagadh. The foundation stone for this project was laid in February 2024, and the construction is set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Discussing the project, Dr. Bhagyesh Jha, Chairman of the Gujarat Sahitya Academy, remarked, “This research center will carefully decipher, interpret, and present these literary works in a contemporary context, ensuring they reach and resonate with both present and future generations.”

A museum dedicated to medieval Gujarati literature will be established within this research center. The museum will showcase medieval manuscripts and their replicas, literature and its creators through virtual reality, biographies of notable literary figures, as well as medieval books in digital, audio, and video formats. India lacks a modern museum dedicated to the earliest poet of any language, making the Museum of Medieval Gujarati Literature the first of its kind. The center will also feature a research room, an e-library, Granth Mandir, and an auditorium. DeshGujarat