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.

History

Pre-history and Antiquity

The earliest known evidence of Human settlement in the region are the Cave painting of Kaimur and Mirzapur. 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. Historically, the region was part of Malla and Kashi Mahajanapadas. Varanasi, known as the center of the Bhojpuri cultural region is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities.

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.

Geography

Most of the Bhojpuri region lies in the fertile Gangetic plains, with highlands present in its northern, southern, and southwestern areas. Its northern boundary is formed by the Himalayas, while the southern part includes the Kaimur range, Vindhya range, Rohtas Plateau and Chhota Nagpur Plateau. The region is traversed by numerous rivers originating from the Himalayas, which enrich the soil and make it highly productive for agriculture. Additionally, several other rivers flowing through the region, originate from the Chhota Nagpur Plateau, as well as the Kaimur, Vindhya, and Satpura ranges. These geographical features have profoundly influenced the cultural and historical development of Bhojpur. The Bhojpur region is divided into two unequal halves by the Ganges River, which flows through the middle from west to east. On the northern side, rivers such as the Gandak, Ghaghara (Sarayu), Gomti, and Burhi Gandak merge with the Ganges, while on the southern side, rivers like the Sone and Karmnasa, flow into it. Other important rivers include the Rapti (a tributary of the Ghaghra), Durgavati (a tributary of the Karmnasa), North Koel, Rihand and Kanhar (tributaries of the Sone), and Sai (a tributary of the Gomti). All these rivers ultimately merge with the Ganges, which flows into the Bay of Bengal. The Subarnarekha River drains into the Bay of Bengal. The North Karo River flows into the South Koel, which then joins the Sankh River to form the Brahmani River, which also drains into the Bay of Bengal.

People

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

Culture

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

Language

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

Festivals

Chhath Puja and Durga Puja are the biggest festivals of Bhojpuri region. 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.

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 newly married 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.

Textile arts

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.

Districts

Bhojpuri language is spoken in the districts of Western Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh which is called Purvanchal. 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 Uttar Pradesh Varanasi division: Chandauli district, Ghazipur district, Jaunpur district, Varanasi district. Gorakhpur division: Deoria district, Gorakhpur district, Kushinagar district, Maharajganj district. 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.

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. The proposed capital for this state is either Varanasi or Gorakhpur.

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.