Garhwali
Encyclopedia
The Garhwali language is a Central Pahari language belonging to the Northern Zone of Indo-Aryan languages
. It is primarily spoken by the Garhwali people
(गढ़वळि मन्खि) who are from the north-western Garhwal Division
(गढ़वाळ) of the northern
Indian state
of Uttarakhand
in the India
n Himalayas
.
The Central Pahari languages include Garhwali and Kumauni (spoken in the Kumaun region of Uttrakhand). Garhwali, like Kumauni, has many regional dialects spoken in different places in Uttarakhand
. The script used for Garhwali is Devanagari
.
Garhwali is one of the 325 recognized languages of India spoken by over 2,267,314 people in Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal
, Uttarkashi, Chamoli
, Dehradun
, Haridwar
and Rudraprayag
districts of Uttarakhand
. Garhwali is also spoken by people in other parts of India
including Himachal Pradesh
, Delhi
, Haryana
, Punjab
, Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar
. According to various estimates, there are at least 25 lakh
Garhwali
migrants living in Delhi
and the National Capital Region
.
However, due to a number of reasons, Garhwali is one of the languages which is shrinking very rapidly. UNESCO’s Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger designates Garhwali as a language which is in the unsafe category and requires consistent conservation efforts.
Almost all people who can speak and understand Garhwali can also speak and understand Hindi
, the official language of India
.
In the middle period of the course of development of Indo-Aryan languages
, there were many prakrit
. Of these, the "Khas Prakrit" is believed to be the source of Garhwali although some scholars believe "Shaurseni Aprabhansa" to be the source of the Garhwali. The early form of Garhwali can be traced to the 10th century which is found in numismatics, royal seals, inscriptional writings on copper plates and temple stones containing royal orders and grants. One such early example is the temple grant inscription of King Jagatpal at Dev Prayag (1335 AD). Most of the Garhwali literature is preserved in folk form, handed down verbally from generation to generation but since the 18th century, literary traditions are flourishing. Till the 17th century, Garhwal was always a sovereign nation under the Garhwali Kings. Naturally, Garhwali was the official language of the Garhwal Kingdom
for hundreds of years under the Panwar (Shah) Kings and even before them, until the Gurkhas captured Garhwal and subsequently the British occupied half of Garhwal, later called British Garhwal which was included under the United Provinces
. Garhwal Kingdom
acceded to the Union of India as a part of Uttar Pradesh
in 1949.
(Linguistically unrelated but geographically neighboring languages include: the Tibeto-Burman language Marchi/Bhotia - spoken by Marchas, neighbouring Tibet.)
, who still form a majority in Garhwal, is believed to be the source of Garhwali language. The later Aryans with their Vedic Sanskrit
and Prakrit
languages helped in adding to the vocabulary. Subsequently, Saurseni and Rajasthani
Apbransha had considerable influence in shaping the Garhwali Language. During the Medieval period, due to increasing interaction with outside regions, Punjabi
, Rajasthani
, Gujarati
, Marathi
, Bengali
words also crept into the repertoire of spoken Garhwali. Contact with the Delhi rulers resulted in intrusion of Persian
, Arabic, Turkish
and English
words. From the 18th century, Hindi
, however, started exerting the maximum impact, not only in enriching the vocabulary, but also on the grammatical formation and syntax of Garhwali Language. Nevertheless, more than one third of the vocabulary remained of native base and indigenous structure.
especially Hindi
, Rajasthani
, Kashmiri
and Gujarati
. It shares much of its grammar with the other Pahari
languages like Kumaoni and Nepali
. The peculiarities of grammar in Garhwali and other Central Pahari languages exist due to the influence of the ancient language of the Khasas
, the first recorded inhabitants of the region and the root of Garhwali language.
In Garhwali the verb substantive is formed from the root ach, as in both Rajasthani
and Kashmiri
. In Rajasthani its present tense, being derived from the Sanskrit
present rcchami, I go, does not change for gender. But in Pahari
and Kashmiri it must be derived from the rare Sanskrit
particle *rcchitas, gone, for in these languages it is a participial tense and does change according to the gender of the subject. Thus, in the singular we have: - Here we have a relic of the old Khasas
language, which, as has been said, seems to have been related to Kashmiri. Other relics of Khasa, again agreeing with north-western India, are the tendency to shorten long vowels, the practice of epenthesis, or the modification of a vowel by the one which follows in the next syllable, and the frequent occurrence of de-aspiration. Thus, Khas - siknu, Garhwali - sikhnu, but Hindi - sikhna, to learn; Garhwali - inu, plural - ina, of this kind.
In 2010, the Sahitya Akademi
has conferred Bhasha Samman on two Garhwali writers- Sudama Prasad 'Premi' and Premlal Bhatt. The Sahitya Akademi also organized "Garhwali Bhasha Sammelan"(Garhwali Language Convention) at Pauri Garhwal in June 2010. Many Garhwali Kavi Sammelan (poetry readings) are organized in different parts of Uttarakhand and, in Delhi
and Mumbai
.
Himalayas
. Any person who has ancestral Garhwali roots or lives in Garhwal and has a Garhwali heritage
is called a Garhwali
. They include all those who speak the Garhwali language or any of its numerous dialects.
The culture of the present Garhwal is an amalgamation of influences from the indigenous population coupled with traditions superimposed by various immigrants who settled in the region from time to time. Majority of the people are involved in the agriculture, tourism and the defense industry.
Garhwali people are divided into three castes- Garhwali Brahmin, Garhwali Rajput and Shilpkaar. Most of the Garhwali Brahmins and Rajputs are of Khas origin and practice the Khas traditions like 'Sautiya baant', 'Gharjawain', 'Dewar-Bhabhi Vivaah' etc. They are closely related to each other. Their surnames are based either on the names of their villages (Hatwal
, Uniyal
, Bahuguna
, Semwal, Nautiyal etc.) or according to their professions (Bisht
, Negi, Joshi
, Rawat
etc). Shipkaars, on the other hand, are composed of various sub-castes and are classified as Scheduled Castes in the Constitution of India.
, Pritam Bhartwan and many more have roused people’s interest in Garhwali language by their popular songs and videos. On average there is one movie in four or five years in Garhwali. If you are planning to visit tourist places of this Middle Himalayan Region (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Uttarkashi
, Joshimath etc.), your knowledge of Garhwali can be useful.
in the 1980s, when Claus-Peter Zoller announced the discovery of apparent traces of a centum language in it. However, George van Driem
and Suhnu Sharma later went there to do further fieldwork, and claim that it is in fact a satem language, and that Zoller's data were flawed. Zoller does not accept this, and claims that it was their data that was flawed. He writes also that Bangali is a West Pahari language. This would imply it is not a dialect of Garhwali.
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
. It is primarily spoken by the Garhwali people
Garhwali people
Garhwali people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily live in the Garhwal Himalayas of the north-western Indian state of Uttarakhand...
(गढ़वळि मन्खि) who are from the north-western Garhwal Division
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
(गढ़वाळ) of the northern
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
.
The Central Pahari languages include Garhwali and Kumauni (spoken in the Kumaun region of Uttrakhand). Garhwali, like Kumauni, has many regional dialects spoken in different places in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. The script used for Garhwali is Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
.
Garhwali is one of the 325 recognized languages of India spoken by over 2,267,314 people in Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal
Pauri Garhwal
Pauri Garhwal is a district in Uttarakhand state of India. Its headquarters is at Pauri. Pauri Garhwal district is ringed by Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Almora and Nainital districts from three sides. The southern boundary of Pauri Garhwal district touches with the...
, Uttarkashi, Chamoli
Chamoli District
Chamoli district is a district of Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Garhwal to the southwest, Rudraprayag to the west, and Uttarkashi to the northwest...
, Dehradun
Dehradun district
There are five railway stations in Dehradun:* Raiwala* Rishikesh* Doiwala* Harrawala* DehradunAirport...
, Haridwar
Haridwar District
Haridwar district is a district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is headquartered at Haridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districts Dehradun in the north and east, Pauri Garhwal in the east and the Uttar Pradesh districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in the...
and Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag District
Rudraprayag district, is a district of Uttarakhand state of northern India. The district occupies an area of 2439 km². Rudraprayag town is the administrative headquarters of the district....
districts of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. Garhwali is also spoken by people in other parts of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
including Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. According to various estimates, there are at least 25 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
Garhwali
Garhwali people
Garhwali people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily live in the Garhwal Himalayas of the north-western Indian state of Uttarakhand...
migrants living in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (India)
The National Capital Region in India is a name for the conurbation or metropolitan area which encompasses the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi as well as urban areas ringing it in neighbouring states of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan...
.
However, due to a number of reasons, Garhwali is one of the languages which is shrinking very rapidly. UNESCO’s Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger designates Garhwali as a language which is in the unsafe category and requires consistent conservation efforts.
Almost all people who can speak and understand Garhwali can also speak and understand Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, the official language of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Development of Garhwali
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
, there were many prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
. Of these, the "Khas Prakrit" is believed to be the source of Garhwali although some scholars believe "Shaurseni Aprabhansa" to be the source of the Garhwali. The early form of Garhwali can be traced to the 10th century which is found in numismatics, royal seals, inscriptional writings on copper plates and temple stones containing royal orders and grants. One such early example is the temple grant inscription of King Jagatpal at Dev Prayag (1335 AD). Most of the Garhwali literature is preserved in folk form, handed down verbally from generation to generation but since the 18th century, literary traditions are flourishing. Till the 17th century, Garhwal was always a sovereign nation under the Garhwali Kings. Naturally, Garhwali was the official language of the Garhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom was a princely state in north-western Uttarakhand, India, ruled by the Panwar dynasty. It was founded in 888 AD and existed until it was annexed by the Gorkhas in 1803...
for hundreds of years under the Panwar (Shah) Kings and even before them, until the Gurkhas captured Garhwal and subsequently the British occupied half of Garhwal, later called British Garhwal which was included under the United Provinces
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...
. Garhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom was a princely state in north-western Uttarakhand, India, ruled by the Panwar dynasty. It was founded in 888 AD and existed until it was annexed by the Gorkhas in 1803...
acceded to the Union of India as a part of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in 1949.
Garhwali Dialects
-
- Srinagariya(सिरिनगरिया) - classical Garhwali spoken in erstwhile royal capital, SrinagarSrinagar, UttarakhandFor other uses, see Srinagar .Srinagar is the biggest town in garhwal and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:...
, accepted as Standard Garhwali by most scholars. - Tihriyali(टीरियाळि)/Gangapariya(गंगपरिया) - spoken in TehriTehriTehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative seat of Tehri Garhwal District.-History:...
GarhwalGarhwal DivisionGarhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
. - Jaunsari(जौनसारी) - spoken in Jaunsar-Bhabar area, only limited mutual intelligibility with the other dialects.
- Badhani(बधाणी)- spoken in Chamoli Garhwal.
- Dessaulya(दसौल्या)
- Lohabbya(लोहब्या)
- Majh-Kumaiya(मांझ-कुमैया)- spoken at the border of Garhwal and Kumaon.
- Nagpuriya(नागपुर्या)- spoken in Rudraprayag district.
- Rathi(राठी)- spoken in Rath area of PauriPauriPauri is a city and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:Pauri is located at...
Garhwal. - Salani(सलाणी)- spoken in Talla Salan, Malla Salan and Ganga Salan parganas of PauriPauriPauri is a city and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:Pauri is located at...
. - Ranwalti(रंवाल्टी)- spoken in Ranwain(रंवाँई), the Yamuna valley of UttarkashiUttarkashiUttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
. - Bangani(बंगाणी)- spoken in Bangaan(बंगाण) area of UttarkashiUttarkashiUttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
. - Parvati - reportedly not mutually intelligible with other dialects.
- Jaunpuri(जौनपुरी)- spoken in Uttarkashi and Tehri districts.
- Gangadi(गंगाड़ी) (spoken in UttarkashiUttarkashiUttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
) - Chaundkoti(चौंदकोटी- spoken in Pauri.
- Srinagariya(सिरिनगरिया) - classical Garhwali spoken in erstwhile royal capital, Srinagar
(Linguistically unrelated but geographically neighboring languages include: the Tibeto-Burman language Marchi/Bhotia - spoken by Marchas, neighbouring Tibet.)
Sources and Vocabulary
The basic vocabulary and language of primitive Garhwali is said to have been developed on the language used by the inhabitants of pre-historic age belonging to Negrito Australoid, Dravidian and Mongoloid ethnic groups. These are primarily the Dom, Munda, Kol, Bhil, Naag, Yaksha, etc. The other non-Aryan tribes from Northwest, such as Kunind, Kirat, Shak, Hun, Gurjar, Pisach, Darad also contributed to its vocabulary and influenced the language. The languages of the powerful KhasasKhasas
The Khasas / Khas or Khasiyas are an ancient people, believed to be a section of the Indo-Iranians who originally belonged to Central Asia from where they had penetrated, in remote antiquity, the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole hilly region...
, who still form a majority in Garhwal, is believed to be the source of Garhwali language. The later Aryans with their Vedic Sanskrit
Vedic Sanskrit
Vedic Sanskrit is an old Indo-Aryan language. It is an archaic form of Sanskrit, an early descendant of Proto-Indo-Iranian. It is closely related to Avestan, the oldest preserved Iranian language...
and Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
languages helped in adding to the vocabulary. Subsequently, Saurseni and Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
Apbransha had considerable influence in shaping the Garhwali Language. During the Medieval period, due to increasing interaction with outside regions, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
words also crept into the repertoire of spoken Garhwali. Contact with the Delhi rulers resulted in intrusion of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Arabic, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
words. From the 18th century, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, however, started exerting the maximum impact, not only in enriching the vocabulary, but also on the grammatical formation and syntax of Garhwali Language. Nevertheless, more than one third of the vocabulary remained of native base and indigenous structure.
Grammar
Being part of the Indo-Aryan languages,Garhwali shares its grammar with other Indo-Aryan languagesIndo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
especially Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
, Kashmiri
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
and Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. It shares much of its grammar with the other Pahari
Pahari languages
The Pahari languages are a geographic group of Indic languages spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas, from Nepal in the east to the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the west.-Classification:The Pahari languages fall into three groups:*Eastern, consisting...
languages like Kumaoni and Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
. The peculiarities of grammar in Garhwali and other Central Pahari languages exist due to the influence of the ancient language of the Khasas
Khasas
The Khasas / Khas or Khasiyas are an ancient people, believed to be a section of the Indo-Iranians who originally belonged to Central Asia from where they had penetrated, in remote antiquity, the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole hilly region...
, the first recorded inhabitants of the region and the root of Garhwali language.
In Garhwali the verb substantive is formed from the root ach, as in both Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
and Kashmiri
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
. In Rajasthani its present tense, being derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
present rcchami, I go, does not change for gender. But in Pahari
Pahari languages
The Pahari languages are a geographic group of Indic languages spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas, from Nepal in the east to the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the west.-Classification:The Pahari languages fall into three groups:*Eastern, consisting...
and Kashmiri it must be derived from the rare Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
particle *rcchitas, gone, for in these languages it is a participial tense and does change according to the gender of the subject. Thus, in the singular we have: - Here we have a relic of the old Khasas
Khasas
The Khasas / Khas or Khasiyas are an ancient people, believed to be a section of the Indo-Iranians who originally belonged to Central Asia from where they had penetrated, in remote antiquity, the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole hilly region...
language, which, as has been said, seems to have been related to Kashmiri. Other relics of Khasa, again agreeing with north-western India, are the tendency to shorten long vowels, the practice of epenthesis, or the modification of a vowel by the one which follows in the next syllable, and the frequent occurrence of de-aspiration. Thus, Khas - siknu, Garhwali - sikhnu, but Hindi - sikhna, to learn; Garhwali - inu, plural - ina, of this kind.
| Khas-Kura | Garhwali | Kashmiri | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss | Masc | Fem | Masc | Fem | Masc | Fem |
| I am | chu | chu | chhaun | chhaun | thus | ches |
| You are | chas | ches | chhei | chhei | chukh | chekh |
| He is | cha | che | ch | ch | chuh | cheh |
Garhwali Literature
Garhwali has a rich literature in all genres including poetry, novels, short stories and plays. Earlier, Garhwali literature was present only as folklore. Although Garhwali was the official language of the Kingdom of Garhwal since 8th century, the language of literature was mostly Sanskrit. The oldest manuscript that has been found is a poem "Ranch judya judige ghimsaan ji" written by Pt.Jayadev Bahuguna(16th century). In 1828 AD, Maharaja Sudarshan Sah wrote "Sabhaasaar". In 1830 AD, American missionaries published the New Testament in Garhwali. Thereafter, Garhwali Literature has been flourishing despite government negligence. Today, newspapers like "Uttarakhand Khabarsar" and "Rant Raibaar" are published entirely in Garhwali. Magazines like "Baduli", "Hilaans", "Chtthi-patri" and "Dhaad" contribute in the development of Garhwali language. Some of the important Garhwali Litterateurs and their prominent creations are:-
- Abodhbandhu Bahuguna - "Ankh-Pankh", "Bhoomyal","Ragdwaat"
- Kanhaiyyalal Dandriyal - "Anjwaal"
- Jayakrishna Daurgadati - "Vedant Sandesh"
- Sadanand Kukreti
- Atmaram Gairola
- Taradutt Gairola - "Sadei"
- Satyasharan Raturi - "Utha Garhwalyun!"
- Bhawanidutt Thapliyal - "Pralhad"
- Chandramohan Raturi - "Phyunli"
- Chakradhar Bahuguna - "Mochhang"
- Bhajan Singh 'Singh' - "Singnaad"
- Keshavanand Kainthola - "Chaunphal Ramayan"
- Bholadutt Devrani - "Malethaki Kool"
- Bhagbati Prasad Panthri - "Adah patan", "Paanch phool"
- Shreedhar Jamloki - "Garh-durdasa"
- Mahaveer Prasad Gairola - "Parbati"
- Govind Chatak - "Kya gori kya saunli"
- Dr. Shivanand Nautiyal
- Lokesh Nawani - "Phanchi"
- Durga Prasad Ghildiyal - "Bwari", "Mwari", "Gaari"
- Premlal Bhatt - "Umaal"
- Sudaama Prasad Premi - "Agyaal"
- Lalit Mohan Thapliyal - "Achhryunki taal"
- Jayanand Khugsaal - "Jhalmatu dada"
- Harsh Parvatiya - "Gainika nau par"
- Purushottam Dobhal
- Dr. Narendra Gauniyal - "Dheet"
- Pratap Shikhar - "Kuredi phategi"
- Gireesh Juyal 'Kutaj' - "Khigtaat"
- Madan Mohan Duklaan - "Aandi-jaandi saans"
- Veerendra Negi - "Inma kankwei aan basant"
- Lalit Keshwan - "Khilda phool hainsda paat", "Hari Hindwaan"
- Sulochana Parmar
- Beena Benjwal - "Kamedaa Aakhar"
- Chinmay Sayar - "Aunar"
- Bachan Singh Negi - "Garhwali translation of Mahabharat and Ramayan"
In 2010, the Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
has conferred Bhasha Samman on two Garhwali writers- Sudama Prasad 'Premi' and Premlal Bhatt. The Sahitya Akademi also organized "Garhwali Bhasha Sammelan"(Garhwali Language Convention) at Pauri Garhwal in June 2010. Many Garhwali Kavi Sammelan (poetry readings) are organized in different parts of Uttarakhand and, in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
Garhwali People
Garhwalis are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily inhabit the GarhwalGarhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Any person who has ancestral Garhwali roots or lives in Garhwal and has a Garhwali heritage
Heritage
Heritage refers to something inherited from the past. The word has several different senses, including:* Natural heritage, an inheritance of fauna and flora, geology, landscape and landforms, and other natural resources...
is called a Garhwali
Garhwali people
Garhwali people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily live in the Garhwal Himalayas of the north-western Indian state of Uttarakhand...
. They include all those who speak the Garhwali language or any of its numerous dialects.
The culture of the present Garhwal is an amalgamation of influences from the indigenous population coupled with traditions superimposed by various immigrants who settled in the region from time to time. Majority of the people are involved in the agriculture, tourism and the defense industry.
Garhwali people are divided into three castes- Garhwali Brahmin, Garhwali Rajput and Shilpkaar. Most of the Garhwali Brahmins and Rajputs are of Khas origin and practice the Khas traditions like 'Sautiya baant', 'Gharjawain', 'Dewar-Bhabhi Vivaah' etc. They are closely related to each other. Their surnames are based either on the names of their villages (Hatwal
Hatwal
Hatwal is a Garhwali Brahmin family name from the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Hatwals were primarily a priestly class who served as pandits at the many Hindu temples in the Himalayan Kingdom of Garhwal, including Badrinath which is part of the auspicious Hindu pilgrimage circuit...
, Uniyal
Uniyal
Uniyal is a North Indian garhwali brahmin surname, mostly used in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. In Yamunotri ritual duties such as the making and distribution of prasad and the supervision of pujas are performed by the Uniyal family of pujaris...
, Bahuguna
Bahuguna
Bahuguna is an Indian surname common in Uttrakhand in northern India.According to the family history, the land of Odali village was purchased by ancestors from a lady of Dungri Village. According to the book Bahuguna Vansh Charit written by Dr...
, Semwal, Nautiyal etc.) or according to their professions (Bisht
Bisht
The Bisht are a Rajput community living primarily in the Central Himmalayas, such as the Indian state of Uttarakhand.Bisht Rajputs refers to the title of Rajputs in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand...
, Negi, Joshi
Joshi
Joshi is a family name common in India and Nepal. Whereas the Joshi's of India are of Brahmin origin, the Joshi's of Nepal are either Newars or Khas-Brahmin...
, Rawat
Rawat
Rawat may refer to:* Rawat, Murree, a town in Punjab, Pakistan* Rawat Fort, early 16th century fort built by the Gakhars in Punjab, PakistanCommunities* Rawat Rajputs, ethnic group of India* Van Rawats, a native minority group from Uttarakhand, India....
etc). Shipkaars, on the other hand, are composed of various sub-castes and are classified as Scheduled Castes in the Constitution of India.
Garhwali in Media
In the last few decades many Garhwali folk singers like Narendra Singh NegiNarendra Singh Negi
Narendra Singh Negi is one of the most prominent folk singers of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.In Uttarkhand it is a famous saying that if you want to know about Uttarakhnd, its people, society, life, culture, traditions and politics then either refer to books of scholars or listen to the...
, Pritam Bhartwan and many more have roused people’s interest in Garhwali language by their popular songs and videos. On average there is one movie in four or five years in Garhwali. If you are planning to visit tourist places of this Middle Himalayan Region (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
, Joshimath etc.), your knowledge of Garhwali can be useful.
- In order to create a folk genome tank of Uttarakhand where one can find each genre and occasions in the form of folk music, and to bring the melodious folk from the heart of Himalaya on global screen, the very first internet radio of Kumaon/Garhwal/Jaunsar was launched in year 2008 by a group of non resident Uttarakhandi from New York, which has been gaining significant popularity among inhabitants and migrants since its beta version was launched in year 2010. This was named after a very famous melody of hills of Himalaya, Bedupako Baramasa O Narain Kafal Pako Chaita BedupakoBedupakoBeduPako is an Uttarakhandi folk tune which was conceptualised and written by late Brijendra Lal Shah. It was first composed by Late Mohan Upreti and B M Shah and till date has come out in innumerable versions seen and heard by Uttarakhandis across the Globe. It was played on stage for the first...
Indo-European studies
The Bangani dialect of Garhwali played a role in Indo-European studiesIndo-European studies
Indo-European studies is a field of linguistics dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. Its goal is to amass information about the hypothetical proto-language from which all of these languages are descended, a language dubbed Proto-Indo-European , and its speakers, the...
in the 1980s, when Claus-Peter Zoller announced the discovery of apparent traces of a centum language in it. However, George van Driem
George van Driem
George van Driem, born 1957, is a linguist at , where he holds the chair of Historical Linguistics and directs the .-Background:George van Driem has conducted field research in the Himalayas since 1983...
and Suhnu Sharma later went there to do further fieldwork, and claim that it is in fact a satem language, and that Zoller's data were flawed. Zoller does not accept this, and claims that it was their data that was flawed. He writes also that Bangali is a West Pahari language. This would imply it is not a dialect of Garhwali.
Official Recognition
Although Garhwali is the most spoken language of Uttarakhand, the state government has not recognized it yet. There are demands to make it the official language of Uttarakhand and to be taught at schools and universities. At the national level, there are constant demands to include Garhwali in the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India so that it could be made one of the Scheduled Language of India. Recently, Member of Parliament from Pauri Garhwal, Satpal Maharaj brought a private member's bill to include Garhwali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, which is being debated in the Lok Sabha.See also
- Garhwali peopleGarhwali peopleGarhwali people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who primarily live in the Garhwal Himalayas of the north-western Indian state of Uttarakhand...
- Garhwal DivisionGarhwal DivisionGarhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
- Kumaoni language
- Garhwal KingdomGarhwal KingdomGarhwal Kingdom was a princely state in north-western Uttarakhand, India, ruled by the Panwar dynasty. It was founded in 888 AD and existed until it was annexed by the Gorkhas in 1803...
- SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
Further reading
- Govind Chatak-"Garhwali bhasha", Lokbharti Prakashan, Dehradun, 1959.
- Haridutt Bhatt 'Shailesh'- "Garhwali bhasha aur uska sahitya", Hindi Samiti, UP, 1976.
- Abodhbandhu Bahuguna- "Garhwali bhasha ka vyakaran", Garhwali Prakashan, New Delhi.
- Rajni Kukreti- "Garhwali bhasha ka Vyakaran", Winsar Pub.,Dehradun,2010.
- Govind Chatak- "Garhwali Lokgeet", Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2000.
- Yashwant Singh Kathoch- "Uttarakhand ka Naveen Itihaas", Winsar Pub, Dehradun, 2006.
- Pati Ram Bahadur- "Garhwal:Ancient and Modern", Pahar Publications, 2010.
- Bachan Singh Negi - "Ramcharitmanas, Sreemad Bhagwat Geeta" - Garhwali translations, Himwal Publications, Dehradun, 2007.
External links
- Ethnologue.com
- E-magazine of Uttarakhand with Garhwali poems, stories etc.http://e-magazineofuttarakhand.blogspot.com/
- Learn Garhwali phrases through English http://www.euttaranchal.com/culture/garhwal/learn_garhwali.php