Bhojpuri region

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Bhojpur
Bhojpuri Speaking Region in India.png
Bhojpuri Speaking region of India
Continent Asia
Country India and Nepal
State Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhesh, Lumbini, and Gandaki
Languages Bhojpuri
Area
  Total72,004 km2 (27,801 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
  Total76,308,751
  Density1,100/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Largest Cities

Bhojpur is a ethnolinguistic and cultural area in the Indian subcontinent where the Bhojpuri language is spoken as a mother tongue. The Bhojpuri region encompasses parts of the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, and the Madhesh, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces of Nepal. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

Pre-history and Antiquity

The earliest known evidence of Human settlement in the region are the Cave painting of Kaimur and Mirzapur. [5] [6] [7] The first Neolithic settlement found in this region is in Chirand of Saran, which dates back 2500-1500 B.C. and is contemporary to the Harrapans. [8] Historically, the region was part of Malla and Kashi Mahajanapadas. [9] Varanasi, known as the center of the Bhojpuri cultural region is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. [10] [11]

Etymology

The Bhojpuri region received its name after the town of Bhojpur (Arrah), the headquarters of the Ujjainiya Rajputs of the former Shahabad district of Bihar. [12]

People

The speakers of Bhojpuri language are called Bhojpuriyas and are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group. There are an estimated 150 million Bhojpuriyas worldwide, with the vast majority being Hindu. [13] [14]

Culture

The economic and industrial growth of this region had been greatly hindered because of caste-guided political in-fighting and a huge population. [15]

The culture of Bhojpur is also very much present today in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Fiji, Mauritius, and South Africa, due to the many Indian indentured laborers who were sent there by the ruling British in the mid 19th century to the early 20th century, and were from the Purvanchal-Bhojpur region.

Ganga Varanasiganga.jpg
Ganga

Language

a page of charyapada Charyapada.jpg
a page of charyapada

Bhojpuri language is a descendant of Magadhi Prakrit which started taking in shape during the reign of the Vardhana dynasty. [16] [17] The earliest form of Bhojpuri can be traced in the Siddha Sahitya and Charyapada as early as 7th century A.D. [18] [19] [20] It is an eastern Indo-Aryan language and one of the easternmost branches of the Indo-European language family. [21] The Bhojpuri variant of Kaithi is the indigenous script of Bhojpuri language. [22] [23] [24]

Festivals

Chhath Puja and Durga Puja are the biggest festivals of Bhojpuri region. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

Other important festivals include Phagwah, Saraswati Puja, Deepavali, Dussehra, Vishwakarma Puja, Ramnavami, Teej, Jitiya, Janmashtami, Anant Chaturdashi, Dev Deepawali, Pidiya, Bahura, Godhan, Chauk Chanda, Raksha Bandhan, Nag Nathaiya, Naga Panchami, Karma, etc. [30] [31] [32]

Music

Bhojpuri music is a form of Hindustani Classical Music and includes a broad array of Bhojpuri language performances in distinct style, both traditional and modern.

Art

Bhojpuri painting is a folk painting style that has flourished in the Bhojpuri region thousands of years ago. This painting style is a type of wall painting primarily done on temple walls or on walls of the rooms of newlymarried couples and the main motifs are that of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Although in recent times motifs of natural objects and life and struggles of village people are also depicted to make the painting more acceptable among the common people and bring the style close to reality. [33]

Textile arts

Traditional Banarasi sari with gold brocade. Saree on display at Dilli Haat.JPG
Traditional Banarasi sari with gold brocade.

Silk weaving is a manufacturing industry in Varanasi. Varanasi is known throughout India for its production of very fine silk and Banarasi saris and salwar suits.

Cuisine

Bhojpuri cuisine (Bhojpuri: 𑂦𑂷𑂔𑂣𑂳𑂩𑂲𑂨𑂰 𑂦𑂷𑂔) is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes. [34]

Districts

Bhojpuri region of UP & Bihar Bhojpuri Region of Bihar & Utter Pradesh.png
Bhojpuri region of UP & Bihar

Bhojpuri language is spoken in the districts of Western Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh which is called Purvanchal. [35]

Bihar

Patna division: Bhojpur district, Buxar district, Kaimur district and Rohtas district.

Saran division: Saran district, Siwan district, Gopalganj district.

Tirhut division: West Champaran district, East Champaran district, Muzaffarpur district [36]

Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi division: Chandauli district, Ghazipur district, Jaunpur district, Varanasi district.

Gorakhpur division: Deoria district, Gorakhpur district, Kushinagar district, Maharajganj district.

Major cities in the Bhojpuri speaking region of India and Nepal Bhojpuri Speaking region of India & Nepal.jpg
Major cities in the Bhojpuri speaking region of India and Nepal

Azamgarh division: Azamgarh district, Ballia district, Mau district.

Mirzapur division: Mirzapur district, Sant Ravidas Nagar district, Sonbhadra district.

Basti division: Sant Kabir Nagar district, Siddharthnagar district, Basti district

Jharkhand

Palamu division: Palamu district, Garhwa district

Madhesh Province (Nepal)

Bara district, Parsa district, Rautahat district

Lumbini Province (Nepal)

Parasi district, Rupandehi district

Note that Bhojpur district of Koshi Pradesh is not an Indo-Aryan Bhojpuri ethnolinguistic region, although it shares the same name.

Religion

According to the 2011 Census, Hindus form the majority in the Bhojpuri region, with 85.33% adhering to Hinduism. Islam is practiced by 14.5% of the population, while 0.52% profess other religions.

Religion in Bhojpuri Region (2011) [37]

   Hindu (85.33%)
   Muslim (14.15%)
  Others (0.52%)

Demands for administrative units

Proposed Indian State

In India, there is an active movement in the Bhojpuri-speaking region of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, demanding the formation of a separate Bhojpuri state. [38] [39] [40] [41] The proposed capital for this state is either Varanasi or Gorakhpur. [42] [43]

Proposed Nepalese Province

There is a demand for a separate Bhojpura state in Nepal, formed by merging the Bhojpuri-speaking areas of Madhesh, Lumbini, Gandaki and Bagmati provinces, with Birgunj proposed as the capital city. [44]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bihari languages are a group of the Indo-Aryan languages. The Bihari languages are mainly spoken in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and also in Nepal. The most widely spoken languages of the Bihari group are Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bihar</span> State in Eastern India

Bihar is a state in Eastern India. It is the third largest state by population, the 12th largest by area, and the 15th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand. Only 11.27% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as per a 2020 report. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state. The official language is Hindi, which shares official status alongside that of Urdu. The main native languages are Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri. But there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhojpuri language</span> Indo-Aryan language native to India and Nepal

Bhojpuri is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bhojpur-Purvanchal region of India and the Terai region of Nepal and it is chiefly spoken in eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar, and northwestern Jharkhand in India, as well as western Madhesh, eastern Lumbini, southeastern Gandaki, and southwestern Bagmati in Nepal. Bhojpuri is also widely spoken by the diaspora of Indians descended from those who left as indentured laborers during the colonial era. It is an eastern Indo Aryan language and as of 2000 it is spoken by about 5% of India's population. Bhojpuri is a descendant of Magadhi Prakrit and is related to Maithili, Magahi, Bangla, Odia, Assamese, and other eastern Indo-Aryan languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magahi language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in India

Magahi, also known as Magadhi, is a Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name derives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purvanchal</span> Region in Northern India

Purvanchal is a subregion of the larger Bhojpuri region. Gorakhpur and Varanasi are important cities in this region. The Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport in Varanasi is the largest international airport in this region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awadhi language</span> Indo-Aryan language

Awadhi, also known as Audhi, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India and in Terai region of western Nepal. The name Awadh is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city, which is regarded as the homeland of the Hindu deity Rama, the earthly avatar of Vishnu. Awadhi is also widely spoken by the diaspora of Indians descended from those who left as indentured laborers during the colonial era. Along with Braj, it was used widely as a literary vehicle before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. Though distinct from standard Hindi, it continues to be spoken today in its unique form in many districts of central Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindi Belt</span> Linguistic region of India

The Hindi Belt, also known as the Hindi Heartland or the Hindi speaking states, is a linguistic region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India where various Northern, Central, Eastern and Western Indo-Aryan languages are spoken, which in a broader sense is termed as Hindi languages, with Standard Hindi serving as the lingua franca of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaimur district</span> District of Bihar in India

Kaimur district is one of the 38 districts of Bihar, India. The district headquarters are at Bhabua. Before 1991, it was part of Rohtas District. Till 1764 the region was a part of Ghazipur District and was a part of Kamsaar Raj and later it was a part of Chainpur Estate till 1837.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maithils</span> Maithili speaking ethno-linguistic group

Maithils, also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the Mithila region, which comprises Northern and Eastern Bihar and Northeastern Jharkhand in India and some adjoining districts of Nepal constituting Madhesh Province in addition to some terai districts of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagpuri language</span> Eastern Indo-Aryan language

Nagpuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar. It is primarily spoken in the west and central Chota Nagpur plateau region. It is sometimes considered a dialect of Bhojpuri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mithila (region)</span> Cultural region in India and Nepal, Asia

Mithila, also known as Tirhut, Tirabhukti and Mithilanchal, is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north. It comprises certain parts of Bihar and Jharkhand of India and adjoining districts of the Koshi Province, Bagmati Pradesh and Madhesh Province of Nepal. The native language in Mithila is Maithili, and its speakers are referred to as Maithils.

Sattu is a type of flour, mainly used in India, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan. Sattu is a type of flour made up of dry roasted and ground pulses and cereals. The dry powder is prepared in various ways as a principal or secondary ingredient of dishes. Sattu is used in vegetarian cuisine as it can be a source of protein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tharu languages</span> Indo-Aryan language group of Nepal and India

The Tharu or Tharuhat languages are any of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of the Terai region in Nepal, and neighboring regions of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India.

Most of the languages of Bihar, the third most populous state of India, belong to the Bihari subgroup of the Indo-Aryan family. Chief among them are Bhojpuri, spoken in the west of the state, Maithili in the north, Magahi in center around capital Patna and in the south of the state. Maithili has official recognition under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The official language of Bihar is Modern Standard Hindi, with Standard Urdu serving as a second official language in 15 districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angika</span> Bihari language of India and Nepal

Angika is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as in parts of Nepal.

The Bhojpuri people, also known as Bhojpuriya-sawb are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent who speak the Bhojpuri-language and inhabit the Bhojpur-Purvanchal region. This area is now divided between the western part of the Indian state of Bihar, the eastern part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, western Jharkhand, along with some neighbouring districts in the Madhya Pradesh and Madhesh and Lumbini of Nepal. A significant diaspora population of Bhojpuris can be found in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, other parts of the Caribbean, Fiji, South Africa, Mauritius, United States, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandan Tiwari</span> Bhojpuri Folk singer

Chandan Tiwari is an Indian folk singer from Bihar. She is known as folk singer and sings in Bhojpuri, Nagpuri, Awadhi and Hindi. She was awarded Sangeet Natak Academy-Bismillah Khan Samman. She was honoured by Bhojpuri Kokila in Kolkata. BAG Films-News 24 awarded her best traditional folk singer. She appeared in India Today Magazine in cover story for her contributions to Indian folk music. She has been singing in various forms of folks like Purabi Sohar, Pachra Gandhi song, River Song, Chhath Song Kajri and Thumri.

Bhojpuri music is a form of Hindustani Classical Music and includes a broad array of Bhojpuri language performances in distinct style, both traditional and modern. This form of music is mostly created in Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and other countries like Nepal, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Mauritius, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhojpuri Wikipedia</span> Bhojpuri-language edition of Wikipedia

The Bhojpuri Wikipedia is the Bhojpuri language version of Wikipedia, run by the Wikimedia Foundation. The site was launched on 21 February 2003. Bhojpuri is today written in the Devanagari script. Bhojpuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern-eastern India and the Terai region of Nepal. It is chiefly spoken in western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The language is a minority language in Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, South Africa, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mithila State Movement</span> Movement for proposed separate Mithila state in India

Mithila State Movement is a movement advocating a separate Mithila state in India. This movement gained momentum in 1902 AD when Sir George Grierson, an official of the British Indian government, prepared a map of Mithila state by conducting a language-based survey. In 1881 AD, the word Mithila was added to the dictionary of the British India government. According to the founder, president Dr. Dhanakar Thakur of the International Maithili Council in the proposed Mithila state, 24 districts of Bihar and six districts of Jharkhand, a total of 30 districts, have been included, which has a population of about 70 million. At the same time, the area is 70 thousand square km.

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