The Ph.D. in Marathi Language and Literature at Somaiya Vidyavihar University is a research-intensive doctoral programme designed to foster rigorous scholarly inquiry into the rich and diverse traditions of Marathi literature and linguistic study. As Marathi was officially declared a Classical Language by the Government of India in 2024, this recognition further enhances the need for critical research, documentation, and revival of classical, medieval, modern, and contemporary forms of Marathi literary and linguistic heritage.
Somaiya Vidyavihar University, inspired by the vision of its founder Shri Karamshibhai Somaiya, has always upheld the significance of Indian languages and their role in building a culturally rooted and intellectually vibrant academic community. This Ph.D. programme continues to reflect his vision by promoting deep engagement with Marathi as both a cultural treasure and a living language.
Marathi, with its millennium-old literary and linguistic heritage, is not only the voice of Maharashtra but also a vibrant reflection of India’s civilizational ethos. The PhD programme is designed to explore, analyze, and contribute to this rich tradition through rigorous and meaningful research.
The elevation of Marathi to classical language status underscores its historical depth, aesthetic richness, and sustained literary production. Marathi embodies both continuity and innovation. Its literature spans devotional mysticism, reformist zeal, political resistance, feminist assertion, and contemporary experimentation.
This doctoral programme seeks to deepen the scholarly engagement with the linguistic diversity, literary traditions, and cultural expressions of Marathi. It aims to situate Marathi studies within interdisciplinary, comparative, and global frameworks while retaining a deep rootedness in the regional ethos of Maharashtra.
To facilitate advanced research in the history, evolution, and structure of Marathi language, with focus areas such as historical linguistics, dialectology, language pedagogy, and translation studies.
To promote critical studies of Marathi literature across genres, time periods, and ideological frameworks, ranging from Bhakti and Court literature to Dalit, feminist, and postmodern writings.
To explore the intersection of Marathi language and literature with cultural, political, and social movements in Maharashtra.
To encourage interdisciplinary research connecting Marathi with philosophy, performance traditions, cinema, media, folklore, and digital humanities.
To develop scholarly resources, annotated translations, critical editions, and digital archives for wider dissemination of Marathi intellectual heritage.
Research guidance from a diverse faculty with expertise in classical, modern, and contemporary Marathi studies.
Access to archives, libraries, and cultural institutions across Maharashtra.
Collaboration opportunities with national and international centres for Indian languages, literature, and cultural studies.
Participation in seminars, literary conferences, language pedagogy workshops, and community-based research initiatives.
The PhD programme envisions creating a new generation of scholars, educators, translators, and cultural practitioners who will carry forward the legacy of Marathi as a classical language with global relevance. Research in this programme will not only preserve and interpret the past but also shape the future of Marathi language and literature through critical inquiry, creative engagement, and public scholarship.
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