?Chhattisgarh India
Coordinates: 21°16′N 81°36′E / 21.27, 81.6
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	135,194 km² (52,199 sq mi)
Capital	Raipur
Largest city	Raipur
District(s)	18
Population • Density	20,795,956 (17th) • 108 /km² (280 /sq mi)
Language(s)	Chhattisgarhi,Hindi
Governor	Ekkadu Srinivasan Lakshmi Narasimhan
Chief Minister	Raman Singh
Established	2000-11-01
Legislature (seats)	Unicameral (90)
ISO abbreviation	IN-CT
Website: www.chhattisgarh.nic.in
Seal of Chhattisgarh

Coordinates: 21°16′N 81°36′E / 21.27, 81.6

Chhattisgarh (Chhattisgarhi/Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़, IPA: [tʃʰət̪t̪iːsgəɽʰ]) pronunciation (help·info), a state in central India, formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Indian Standard Time ( IST) is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a Time offset of UTC+530. UTC+530 is the Timezone for Indian Standard Time Sri Lanka Time The geography of India is diverse with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts plains rainforests hills and plateaus To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Indian state A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume This is a list of the States of India in order of population The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language Chhattisgarhi (छत्तिसगढ़ी is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh which has approximately Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is The Governor of Chhattisgarh is a Nominal head and representative of the Ekkadu Srinivasan Lakshmi Narasimhan is the current governor of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh See also Chhattisgarh Raman Singh (born 15 October, 1952) is the current Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh, from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The States Reorganization Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India 's states and territories. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO ISO 3166-2IN is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to India. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Chhattisgarhi (छत्तिसगढ़ी is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh which has approximately Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Raipur serves as its capital. It is the 10th largest state of India by area. Chhattisgarh takes its name from 36 (Chattis is thirty-six in Hindi and Garh is Fort) princely states in this region from very old times. ^{controversial, many stories}

It borders Madhya Pradesh on the northwest, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the south, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast and Uttar Pradesh on the north. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U

The Chhattisgarhi language, part of the East-Central group of Indo-Aryan languages, is the predominant language in the region. Chhattisgarhi (छत्तिसगढ़ी is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh which has approximately The Indo-Aryan languages (within the context of Indo-European studies also Indic) are a branch of the Indo-European language family It is often regarded by linguists to be a dialect of Hindi, which is the official language of the state. People in southern Chhattisgarh, Bastar, speak dialects of Dravidian languages. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of The Dravidian family of languages includes approximately 73 languages (including the four literary languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada Other languages spoken in Chhattishgarh are Hindi, Oriya, Marathi and tribal languages. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Oriya (ଓଡ଼ିଆ oṛiā) is one of the Indian Languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Politics 3 History 3.1 Recent events 4 Economy 5 Education 6 Transportation 7 Culture 7.1 Crafts 7.2 Dance 7.3 Music 7.4 Religion 8 Status of women 9 Language 9.1 Classification 9.1.1 Munda 9.1.2 Dravidian 9.1.3 Indo-European 9.2 Language Extinction Issue 9.3 Munda Language Family 9.4 Dravidian Language Family 9.5 Indo-European Languages 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links

Geography

The north and south parts of the state are hilly, while the central part is a fertile plain. Forests cover roughly forty-four percent of the state. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria

The northern part of the state lies on the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain: The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, The Rihand is a river in east-central India, a tributary of the Son River. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east-west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The Satpura Range is a range of Hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast running east through The Chota Nagpur Plateau (also Chhota Nagpur) is a plateau in eastern India which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, The Mahanadi rises in the highlands ofChhattisgarh It flows through Orissa to reachthe Bay of Bengal

The central part of the state lies in the fertile upper basin of the Mahanadi and its tributaries, with extensive rice cultivation. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The upper Mahanadi basin is separated from the upper Narmada basin to the west by the Maikal range, part of the Satpuras, and from the plains of Orissa to the east by ranges of hills. The Narmada नर्मदा Gujarati નર્મદા or Nerbudda (Narbada is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent

The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary the Indravati River. This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी The Indravati River is a Tributary of the Godavari River, located in central India.

The Mahanadi is the chief river of the state. Other main rivers are Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk and Arpa.

Politics

In Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi, the first Chief Minister of the state, has been the most controversial politician of the State. Ajit Jogi (born 29 April 1946 is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. Prominent leaders, besides him, in the Indian National Congress Party are Vidya Charan Shukla, and Motilal bohra. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Vidya Charan Shukla was born on 2nd August 1928 at Raipur (CP & Berar Dr. Raman Singh has been the second Chief Minister of the State and first of the Bhartiya Janata Party after the general elections held in November 2003. Raman Singh (born 15 October, 1952) is the current Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh, from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political Besides him, Ramesh Bais, and Dilip Singh Judeo, both former Union Ministers, are other prominent leaders of the party. Dauram Ratnakar is the Chief of the State Unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party for many years. The Bahujan Samaj Party (बहुजन समाज पार्टी is a national Political party in India with Socialist leanings Chhattisgarh has given many prominent leaders in the past which include Pandit ravi Shankar Shukla who was the Prime Minister (as the post was known then) of the state of Central Provinces And Berar before the first general Elections in the country, and later the first Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; his son Pandit Shyama Charan Shukla was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh thrice. Naresh Chandra Singh, Raja of Sarangarh and a tribal leader of stature, was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh once and Motilal Vora twice. Earlier in 1962, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra was elected to the state assembly from Kasdol assembly segment in Chhattisgarh. Other prominent leaders of that era include Mahant Lakshmi Narayan Das, Sundar Lal Sharma, Mini Mata and Chandu Lal Chandrakar. There are 4 major political parties and many independents with followers in the state:

• Bharatiya Janata Party (Currently holding the majority in the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh)
• Indian National Congress(Indira) (Held the majority the last time around)
• Bahujan Samaj Party
• Gondwana Party
• Rastravadi Congress Party

There is a heavy presence of armed insurgent communists (known as Naxalites) in southern and northern part of the state almost running parallel Government in the hinterland – Chhattisgarh is as of 2006 the most Naxalite-affected state in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. The Bahujan Samaj Party (बहुजन समाज पार्टी is a national Political party in India with Socialist leanings Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to Communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement

History

Main article: History of Chhattisgarh

Much of this area was part of the Chhattisgarh States, a division of the Eastern States Agency in British India. The Eastern States Agency was an administrative unit of British India. In 1941 they had an area 37,688 square miles and a population of 4,050,000. ^[1]. The states were organized in 1936 and merged into either Orissa or Madhya Pradesh in 1948. Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often ^[2]

Recent events

• On February 28, 2006, 55 civilians were killed in Dantewada District after their trucks were blown up by Naxalites, one of the deadliest such Naxalite attacks in India's history. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Dantewada District, also known as Dantewara District or South Bastar District, is a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to Communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement Smaller numbers of people have continued to perish in continued attacks related to the Naxalite rebellion. (Fear triggers exodus in India's Maoist Badlands, March 8, 2006, ABC News). Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the American news organization See also ABC News (disambiguation ABC News is a division of American

• On March 25, 2006, thirteen civilians were killed in Kanker District after a land mine detonated underneath their jeep. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Kanker District is located in the southern region of the state of Chhattisgarh, India within the longitudes 20 Naxalite rebel involvement has been alleged by local police. (India landmine blast 'kills 13', March 25, 2006, BBC News). Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

• On April 28, 2006, thirteen out of a group of fifty hostages were found partly beheaded in Dantewada District. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Dantewada District, also known as Dantewara District or South Bastar District, is a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Naxalite rebels are suspected in the hostage-taking and the massacre. Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to Communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement (India rebels 'kill 13 villagers', April 28, 2006, BBC News). Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

• Recently a law has been passed requiring conversion from one religion to another to be notified to the authorities 30 days beforehand. Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another Citizens who fail to do this can face up to a year in jail. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of According to the BBC "conversion is a major political issue in the state. " (This, conversion-related law, by the way, is enacted also elsewhere in India as a governmental response to the demand from the majority community of Hindus inasmuch Hinduism does not accept formal converts though its members who were allured into other religions are reconvertible, according to tradition. Chhattisgarh, like several other areas in India, has considerable populations of illiterate, yet uniquely cultured, communities - a fertile ground for missionaries who hold that tribal populations are precisely awaiting their salvational mission for their liberation from backwardness. )

• On March 15, 2007, at least 55 police officers were reported killed in an attack on a police outpost in the village of Radi Bodli by Naxalite Maoist rebels. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to Communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement Maoism, variably and officially known as Mao Zedong Thought ( is a variant of Marxism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader ^[3] The dead included 15 personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces and 34 Special Police Officers (SPOs). 12 others were injured in the attack. ^[4] The total forces present during the time of the attack were 23 regular officers and 55 SPOs. ^[5]

Economy

Chhattisgarh is one of the rapidly developing states of India. The per capita income is around 250 USD as of 2001, but that is in part due to the neglect and under investment during it being the part of Madhaya Pradesh. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country Only 20% of population lives in urban areas.

Chhattisgarh's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at 12 billion USD in current prices. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been After partition, this mineral-rich state produces 30% of the output of the old Madhya Pradesh state. The state has immense potential to graduate into the league of advanced states provided it gets a far sighted political leadership and adequate planning especially in the area of higher studies as well as technical education.

The state's economy is further fuelled by the presence of the Bhilai Steel Plant, S. E. C. Railway Zone, BALCO Aluminium Plant (Korba), and NTPC Korba (National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd) and S. National Thermal Power Corporation is the largest power generation company in India. E. C. L. (South Eastern Coalfields Limited). The city of Korba is a hub for power generation, from where the electricity is supplied to several other Indian states. Chattisgarh's southern area consists of iron ore available where NMDC is excavating to meet the iron demand in India and as well sending to countries like Japan. NMDC is located in Dantewara district. Recently ESSAR has started transporting iron ore through pipe lines to Vizag.

The state is also launching an ambitious plan to become biofuel self-sufficient by 2015 by planting crops of jatropha. Analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indian Biofuels Industry, reveals that the market is an emerging one and has a long way to go before it catches ^[7]

Education

Educational institutions set-up by the state government are the prevalent education providers in the state from elementary schools to degree colleges. In these institutions and schools (other than engineering and medical colleges), the dominant medium of education is official hindi.

In Chhattisgarh, there are seven government recognized universities:

• Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University, Bhilai
• Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur
• Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
• Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur
• Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh
• Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar University, Raipur
• Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur

Most the colleges in the state are affiliated to one of these universities. Institution Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University ( CSVTU) is a public university located in the city of Bhilai, the STEEL CITY of India Bhilai is the second-largest city in Chhattisgarh, India with a population of 553837 (2001 census University Formally inaugurated on June 16 1983 Guru Ghasidas University is located at Bilaspur and is one of the two universities in Chhattisgarh Bilaspur may refer to India Bilaspur Uttar Pradesh - a town in Muzaffarnagar District, Uttar Pradesh Hidayatullah National Law University ( HNLU) is a university in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Indira Gandhi Agricultural University (IGAU is an agricultural University at Raipur in the Indian state of Chattisgarh. History Indira Kala Sangeet University was established in 1956 under the Government of Madhya Pradesh. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Khairagarh is a town and a Nagar panchayat in Rajnandgaon District in the Indian Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Awam Jansanchar University ( KTUJM) is a public university located in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Profile Named after the first chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

In year 2006 Government Engineering College was declared National institute of technology (also known as NIT). First one of its own kind in State.

Transportation

The rail network in Chattisgarh is centered on Bilaspur, which is zonal headquarters of South East Central Railway of Indian Railways. The South East Central Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. Other main railway junctions include Raipur, Durg and Champa. These junctions are well connected to all the major cities of India.

The roadways infrastructure is also slowly picking up in the state. The National Highway 6 (Bombay to Kolkata) passes through the state. The state also hosts National Highway 43 which starts from Raipur and goes up to Vishakhapatnam. National Highway 16 from Hyderabad ends at Bhopalpatnam in Dantewada district. The state has 11 National Highways (2,225 kilometres).

The air infrastructure as of now in the state is minor. Raipur, the capital city, is the sole commercially operating airport of the state. However, of late, Raipur has shown huge upsurge in passenger traffic . Raipur has links to top four cities of the country i. e. Delhi (4 Flights a day), Bombay (3 Flights a day), Kolkata (2 Flights a day), and Chennai (1 Flight a day) . It is also connected to Jaipur , Indore (3 Flights a day), Nagpur (2 Flights a day) , Bhubaneshwar , Ahmedabad (2 Flights a day), Vizag , Pune , Bhopal and Hyderabad (2 Flights a day) . The state, however, has airport in Bilaspur and air strips in Bhilai, Jagdalpur, Sarguja, Korba. Its rural connectivity is also improving.

Culture

The state hosts many religious sects like Satnami Panth, Kabirpanth, Ramnami Samaj, and others. Champaran (Chhattisgarh) is a small town that has religious significance as the birth place of the Saint Vallabhacharya. Champaran, formerly known as Champajhar, is a village in the Raipur District in state of Chhattisgarh, India, which lies about 60 km from Sri Vallabhacharya (1479 &ndash 1531 was a devotional Philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha Champaran is coming up as a big holy place for Gujarati community. People from all of Gujarat, Mumbai etc. come to visit this place.

The Oriya culture is prominent in the eastern parts of Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh has a very rich Cultural heritage. Chattisgarh has its unique style of dance, cuisine, and music. This has made Chhattisgarh a favorite of anthropologists and sociologists due to its relevant profile. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge"

Crafts

One can see here decorative pieces carved on wood, Bamboo furniture, Clay pieces, idols carved on wood etc.

Dance

Panthi, Raut Nacha "Karma" and Soowa dance styles are very popular in the region.

Raut Nacha, the folk dance of cowherds, is a traditional folk dance of yadavs/yaduvanshis as symbol of worship to Krishna at the time of 'dev udhni ekadashi' (awakening of Gods after brief rest) according to the Hindu calendar. Folk dance is a term used to describe a large number of dances mostly of European origin that tend to share the following attributes originally danced in about the Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism The dance closely resembles Krishna's dance of lord with his village's girls with gopis.

Panthi, the folk dance of the Satnami community has religious overtones. Performed on Maghi Purnima - the anniversary of the birth of Guru Ghasidas. The dancers dance around a jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to songs eulogising their spiritual head. The songs also reflect the Nirvana philosophy, conveying the spirit of renunciation of their Guru and the teachings of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas and Dadu. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण Al-Kabir "the Great" is also one of the 99 names of God in Islam Dancers with bent torsos and swinging arms continue to dance till carried away by their devotion. As the rhythm quickens, they indulge in acrobatics and form human pyramids.

Music

Main article: Music of Chhattisgarh

Pandavani a musical narration of the epic Mahabharata, Teejan Bai, the Pandavani artist was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2003, for her contribution to Pandavani. Chhattisgarh is a state of India with strong tribal traditions of music and dance Padavani (lit Songs of Pandavas is a folk singing style of musical narration of tales from ancient epic Mahabharata with musical accompaniment Teejan Bai (born 1956 is an exponent of Pandavani, a traditional performing art form from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata Ritu Verma is also a well known name ^[8].

Chhattisgarh has rich traditional folk songs among which sohar, bihav & Pathoni songs are very famous.

Sohar songs are related to child birth. Bihav songs are related to marriage celebration. The main parts of Bihav songs are Chulmati, Telmati, Maymouri, Nahdouri, Parghani, Bhadoni and other songs related to Bhanver, Vidai songs.

Pathoni songs are related to Gouna that is departure of bride to bridegroom home.

There is a growing presence of Chhattisgarhi music and other cultural material on the web ^[9]

Religion

Chhattisgarh is home to Hindu saints of all castes. For example, Parsurama Ramnami were a Harijan, Vallabha Acharya was a Brahmin. Sri Vallabhacharya (1479 &ndash 1531 was a devotional Philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a worldwide known Hindu leader and founder of the Transcendental Meditation was from Raipur. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ( January 12, 1917 &ndash February 5 2008) founded and developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and Transcendental Meditation or TM is the trademarked name of a Meditation technique introduced in 1958 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1917-2008

Status of women

In many ways, the women of Chhattisgarh enjoy a unique position within India. The proportion of women in the population is second highest among states in India. Further, the female-male ratio is in favor of women in rural population. This State is 9th largest state in India, much larger than Tamilnadu; so this feature - though accords well with that of many smaller areas within other States - is unique to Chhattisgarh. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. The village society is little affected by classical doctrines of Hinduism; probably because more than 95% of residents of Chhattisgarh are either not part of Hindu society or are included as low caste within Hindu caste hierarchy because of their industry related job occupations. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Probably, such social composition also results in some customs and cultural practices that seem unique to Chhattisgarh: the regional variants are common in India's diverse cultural pattern. Rural women here are though poor but are more independent, hardy, better organized and socially more vociferous and command more power just like women in North-East India: so much so that they can choose and even terminate a marriage at will. Most of the old temples/shrines here are related to 'women power' (e. g. , Shabari, Mahamaya, Danteshwari) and existence of these temples gives insight into historical and current social fabric of this state.

Both women and men here generally marry at a young age; just like marriages that happen or used to happen at young age in most parts of India and world in their not urbanized society. Women aged between 20 to 49 years were found (in one particular study) to have married at median age of 15. 4 years; and 34% of girls aged between 15 to 19 years are already married (according to Government).

There is widespread social belief in witchcraft in Chhattisgarh; which is similar to such belief in other parts of the world; see in particular Witch trials in Early Modern Europe . The period of Witch trials in Early Modern Europe came in waves and then subsided Women are supposed to have access to supernatural forces, and accused of witchcraft and called 'Tonhi' often to settle personal scores. They are barbarically persecuted. The existence of such belief reflects current extent of backwardness of the society in Chhattisgarh.

Today, with increasing contact with mainstream India, many of the cultural concomitants of female subservience common to mainstream India have started creeping in Chhattisgarh. The gender ratio (number females per 1000 males) has been steadily declining over the century in Chhattisgarh: 1046 in year 1901, 1032 in 1941, 996 in 1981 and 990 in 2001; but is better than the ratio for India: 972 in 1901, 945 in 1941, 934 in 1981 and 933 in 2001. Detailed information on various aspects of women status in Chhattisgarh can be found in the linked 103 page report titled 'A situational analysis of women and girls in Chhattisgarh' prepared in year 2004 by 'National Commission of Women', a statutory body belonging to government of India.

Language

Main article: Chhattisgarhi language

Chhattisgarhi is a dialect of Hindi language or a language in its own right and it is spoken and understood by the majority of people in Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarhi (छत्तिसगढ़ी is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh which has approximately Chhattisgarhi (छत्तिसगढ़ी is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh which has approximately A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Chhattisgarhi was also known as Khaltahi to surrounding Hill-people and as Laria to Oriya speakers. In Koria, Surguja and Jashpur, it appears as Surgujia sub-dialect. Including Chhattisgarhi, a total of 93 dialects or languages are spoken in the state which together represent all three of India's major language families except Tibeto-Burman: Munda (Austro-Asiatic languages), Dravidian and Indo-European. The Tibeto-Burman family of languages (often considered a sub-group of the Sino-Tibetan Language family) is spoken in various central and south Asian countries including The Munda languages are a Language family spoken by about nine million people in central and eastern India and Bangladesh. The Austro-Asiatic languages are a large Language family of Southeast Asia, and also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The Dravidian family of languages includes approximately 73 languages (including the four literary languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages All these dialects use the devanagari script of Hindi irrespective of the language group to which they belong. Chhattisgarhi is mainly an IndoEuropean dialect/language with heavy presence of vocabulary and linguistic features from Munda and Dravidian languages.

Classification

H. L. Shukla has given following classification to place some of dialects of Chhattisgarh in Munda, Dravidian and IndoEuropean language families:

Munda

                           0)Pre-Munda
                                 |
         1)Pre-Munda (Southern)        2)Pre-Munda (Northern)
                 |                           |
      1)Gadba    2)Kharia     1)Korku 2)Mawasi 3)Nihali 4)Pre-Kherwari
                                                                 |
                                                   1)Korba         2)Bidaho
                                                       |
                              1)Nagesia 2)Sounta or Toori 3)Majhi 4)Majhwar 5)Kherwari

Dravidian

                                               0)Pre-Dravid
                                                      |
           1)South-Central                       2)Central                    3)Northern
                |                                    |                              |
1)Dormi  2)Dandami-Maria  3)Bhuria  4)Abujh-Maria   1)Parji or Dhurbi       1)Kurukh or Oraon
                                                  
                                            

Indo-European

                              0)Indo-European
                                     |
                              0)Pre-Aryan
                                     |
               1)Half-Magadhi    2)Magadhi      3)Pijani
                     |                |               |
              1)Eastern Hindi    1)Oriya  1)Halbi  2)Sadri
                     |                 |
             1)Chhattisgarhi     1)Bhatri

Language Extinction Issue

Since Sanskritized Khari Boli or Hindi is the language of India (and Chhattisgarh) for official use like recruitment, education and there is lack of local people (at least from all ethno-language groups) in the state/local administration; there is ongoing change in the linguistic profile of the state accelerated with more interaction with outside world and desire to get developed. Oriya (ଓଡ଼ିଆ oṛiā) is one of the Indian Languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is

In northern Chhattisgarh, dialects from all these three language groups are in use today; in middle part of Chhattisgarh, only Indo-European dialects have survived; and in southern Chhattisgarh, Dravidian and Indo-European dialects are in use.

According to H. L. Shukla: Munda dialects are progressing to the stage of becoming extinct; among Dravidian dialects, Parji is also facing extinction problem, Kurukh (Oraon) and Gondi are struggling; and IndoEuropean dialects are in the process of losing their features differentiating them from official Hindi, Khari Boli. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is

Munda Language Family

According to 1971 census of India, Korku was the major Munda dialect spoken by more than 200,000 people (It is not clear whether this count is for whole India or is specific to Chhattisgarh). Korku is a little-known Tribe of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in India. The Munda languages are a Language family spoken by about nine million people in central and eastern India and Bangladesh. Korku, Kharia and Korba are major Munda dialects in use in Chhattisgarh.

Other than these three, Muasi, Toori (in Raigarh), Nihali-Mankari, Khaerwari, Birhord, Kodaku (Sarguja), Dhelki, Mahto, Kora-Majhi, Munda, Mundari and Santhali are other Munda dialects spoken in Chhattisgarh which are either sub-dialects of above stated three dialects or are different but in the stage of extinction.

The only known speaker of Gadba, a Munda dialect spoken in Bastar district, died at the age of 80 some years back, as noted by H. L. Shukla.

Dravidian Language Family

According to 1971 census of India, Kurukh or Oraon was mother-tongue of 300,609 people in Chhattisgarh and there were around 30,000 speakers of Parja or Dhurbi.

Gondi is the Dravidian language spoken by Gond tribals who call themselves Koitor or Koitol and therefor H. L. Shukla has called their language Koitor. H. L. Shukla identifies dialects such as Dormi, Dandami-Maria, Bhuria, Abujh-Maria, Koya, Ghotul-muriya and others under this language. According to 1961 census of India, there were 3,900,000 Koitor or Gond tribals in India. Two thirds of these Gond/Koitor tribals were distributed over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh according to 1971 census. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often As of now, almost more than half of these tribals use the dialects in use in their respective areas (other than Koitor). (Mr. H. L. Shukla found that Near Bhopal (capital of Madhyapradesh) which was once the stronghold of Koitor people, one cannot hear Koitor dialect in the circumference of 100 km). Bhopāl ( Hindi: भोपाल bʰoːpɑːl, Marathi -भोपाळ is a city in central India.

Indo-European Languages

Among 93 dialects spoken in Chhattisgarh, 70 are classified as belonging to the Indo-European language family. Under Chhattisgarhi group, the dialects spoken by Agariya, Binjhwari, Baigani, Bhuliya, Lariya, Dhanwar, Panka, Dindwar and many other tribals are included.

Sadri is the dialect understood by many of the different tribal groups. Sadri is the name given to the Indo-European dialect that is used by tribal people, when they do not use their own dialect, to communicate with other people. see Sadri language for the Bihari language WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sadri (सादडी is a city Sadri is in use from Chhattisgarh and Orissa to West-Bengal. Similarly, Halbi is understood by many of the different tribal groups in southern Chhattisgarh (earlier there were many different opinions about the language family of Halbi, but now it is usually accepted as an Indo-European dialect) - in 1951 census, it was found that more than 99% of Halbi speakers can speak at-least two dialects. Other major languages spoken in Chhattisgarh are Hindi,Oriya and Marathi. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India.

Notes

References

• Books on Chhattisgarhi Religion
  • Lawrence Babb, "The Divine Hierarchy: Popular Hinduism in Central India"
  • Saurabh Dube, "Untouchable Pasts: Religion, Identity and Power among a Central Indian Community, 1780-1950" (on the Satnamis)
  • Ramdas Lamb, "Rapt in the Name: Ramnamis, Ramnam and Untouchable Religion in Central India"
  • Chad Bauman, "Identifying the Satnam: Hindu Satnamis, Indian Christians, and Dalit Religion in Colonial Chhattisgarh, India (1868-1947) (Ph. D. dissertation, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2005)
• Books by Indologist Prof H. L. Shukla :
  • "Chhattisgarh Rediscoverd" on oral history of the state, and
  • "History of the People of Bastar"
• Folktales of Chhattisgarh
• "Tribal History of Central India" by R. K. Sharma and S. K. Tiwari, Other link

External links

• Chhag Chhattisgarh Website छग छत्‍तीसगढ़ वेबसाइट
• Detailed information about Chhattisgarh in Hindi language.
• People's Website of Chhattisgarh
• Website of State Government of Chhattisgarh
• Chhattisgarh travel guide from Wikitravel
• History of Chhattisgarh
• Information about Chhattisgarhi language
• Book on Oral History of Chhattisgarh
• Site devoted to Ramnami Samaj, a community in Chhattisgarh
• "Wildlife in Central India: A Biogeographic Treatise" Vol. 2 & 3
• Vice article
• [1] article of Alok Prakash Putul
• Tourism Website of Chhattisgarh

Photo Galleries

• Photographs of tribals in southern Chhattisgarh, Oct 2004. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
• Photo Gallery: Features of villages in central part of Chhattisgarh, at Webshot
• Photo gallery, Dantewara district
• Chhattisgarh Flowers
• Photo gallery, Kanker district
• Photo gallery, Sarguja district

Chhattisgarhi Language and Literature Samples

• Madai Page in Deshbandhu
• Chhattisgarhi Music in CGNET

Newspapers from Chhattisgarh

• Chhattisgarhi and Chhattisgarh Online News (Hindi हिन्‍दी Chhattisgarhi छत्तीसगढ़ी)
• Daily Chhattisgarh (in pdf format)
• Daily Deshbandhu(also in pdf format)
• Chhattisgarh news 24x7 in Hindi
• Chhattisgarh News (Hindi हिन्‍दी)

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