Languages of India

One of the world's longest-surviving classical languages, Tamil is a Dravidian language with over 2,000 years of continuous literary tradition in South India and Sri Lanka.

Assamese is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Assam, India, with a rich literary tradition dating back to the 13th-14th centuries and official status in the region.

Bengali (Bangla) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over 230 million people, primarily in Bangladesh and India's West Bengal, with a rich literary heritage.

Ancient writing system of India from 3rd century BCE, ancestor of most modern Indian scripts, used extensively in Mauryan inscriptions.

Ancient writing system used for Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, and over 120 languages across North India and Nepal, evolving from the Brahmi script.

Ancient South Indian Brahmic script used primarily for writing Sanskrit texts in Tamil-speaking regions, with origins dating to the 5th century CE.

Indo-Aryan language spoken in Gujarat, with over 55 million speakers worldwide and a rich literary tradition spanning centuries of Indian history.

Modern Standard Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken widely in India, serving as one of the official languages of the Indian Union and the lingua franca of North India.

The variety of Persian language used in the Indian subcontinent as the language of administration, culture, and literature from medieval to colonial times.

Kannada is a classical Dravidian language of South India with over 1,500 years of literary tradition, spoken by 45 million people in Karnataka and beyond.

Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in Kerala, India, with a rich literary tradition dating back to the 9th century CE.

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over 83 million people, primarily in Maharashtra, with a rich literary tradition spanning over a millennium.

Odia is a classical Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in Odisha, India, with rich literary heritage dating back over a millennium and official classical status.

Ancient Indo-Aryan language of Buddhist scriptures, preserving the Buddha's teachings and Theravada Buddhism across South and Southeast Asia.

Ancient group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages spoken across India from 6th century BCE to 8th century CE, used in literature, inscriptions, and religious texts.

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over 125 million people in Punjab region of India and Pakistan, with rich literary and religious heritage.

Ancient Indo-Aryan language of South Asia, sacred tongue of Hindu scriptures, and foundation of Indian classical literature spanning over 3,500 years.

Ancient abugida writing system for Tamil language, one of the oldest continuously used scripts in India with a history spanning over 2000 years.

Telugu is a classical Dravidian language native to South India, spoken by over 95 million people, with rich literary heritage dating back centuries.

Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language that emerged in South Asia, written in Perso-Arabic script and recognized as a symbol of Muslim heritage and literary excellence.