The Jaunsari are a small community found in

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, northern India, more specifically in the

Jaunsar-Bawar Jaunsar-Bawar is a hilly region in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, northern India. It is located in the north-west of Dehradun district, along the border with the state of Himachal Pradesh. Ethnically, Jaunsar-Bawar comprises two regions, inh ...

region of the western portion of the state in

Garhwal Division Garhwal (IPA: /ɡəɽʋːɔɭ/) is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the ...

. They speak the

Jaunsari language Jaunsari () is a Western Pahari language of northern India spoken by the Jaunsari people in the Chakrata and Kalsi blocks of Dehradun district in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state. The dialects of Jaunsari share about 60% of their basic ...

which is an

Indo-Aryan language The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pa ...

. Jaunsari is a generic term for many communities.

Culture

Jaunsari community reveres ‘ Mahasu Devta’ which is principal deity of Jaunsari community. Dance and music are integral part of Jaunsari culture. During festivals both men and women dance under the intoxication of the folk music. Local people perform folk dances such as Barada Nati,

Harul Harul is a traditional Indian folk dance performed in the Jaunsar-Bawar and bordering regions of Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Hima ...

and Raso. Fair like

Magh Mela Magh mela, also spelled Magha mela, is an annual festival with fairs held in the month of ''Magha'' (January/February) near river banks and sacred tanks near Hindu temples. About every twelve years, ''Magha melas'' coincide with what is believed by ...

and Bissu held which mark the harvesting period. Ancient Wooden Mahasu Devta Temple at Hanol Jaunsar ,Garhwal(Uttrakhand)

References

Scheduled Tribes of Uttarakhand {{india-ethno-stub