I am a Garhwali.I guess the single biggest factor in the formation of Garhwali ethnicity is the Dialect {also Garhwali}.Garhwali is one of the mountain dialects of Hindi.Recently a gentleman has devised a separate? script for Garhwali.I think it wasn't needed.We just have a few sounds which are absent in Devnagari and the shortcoming could have been taken care of by adding a few consonants to the Devnagari script.
The first recorded name of this region was Kirtipur. Later on, according to another tradition, since it was surrounded on all sides by mountains - it came to be known us "Giri - avil", which, by passage of time, got transformed into Garhwal.
According to one version, Garhwal derives its name from the fifty two forts {garhs} that had come together to form a loose confederacy.
As with most other regions of India,people have always moved in and out of Garhwal.Garhwalis who settled in Dehradun 3-4 generations back and have lost the dialect are referred to as Kathmali.
My brother-in-law is a Kathmali.2 of my sisters-in-law are Garhwalis too and one is a Kumaoni {ethnicity closest to Garhwali}.All my nephews and nieces can't speak or are ashamed to speak Garhwali {as is the case with most young Garhwalis who've settled in urban areas}.I used to converse in Garhwali exclusively with my grandparents {who are no more} and now do so with my mother and a few relatives.
Considering my ethnicity is very small 4-5 million {India has over 1 billion people} and the rate of inland migration is very high {due to poverty},the future seems bleak for atleast the dialect.
Copy Pasted from : What do you associate with "Ethnicity"?
Related Posts:
Dr. Shiv Prasad Naithani "Uttarakhand Gathaon Ka Rehesya" : 30.07.2010
Raturi Vansham : 05.01.2010
Websites on Uttarakhand & Future of Garhwali n Kumaoni Ethnicities
आपकी बात से मैं पूरी तरह सहमत हूँ. लेकिन अब लोग समझदार हो गए उनको लगने लगा की अपनी संस्कृति को कभी नहीं भूलना चाहिए . आपका लेखा मेरे को पसंद आया
ReplyDelete"मातृभूमि, मातृसंस्कृति और मातृभाषा। यह तीन देवियां हैं, इनका सम्मान करना चाहिए। इनही से ही संसार में सम्मान मिलता है।"
टिप्पणी के लिए धन्यवाद 'निशान' भाई.आपकी ३ देवियों वाली बातों से मैं सहमत हूँ.कीप इन टच.
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