Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain (in Nepal),
are an
Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak
Kumaoni language
Kumaoni (;
) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over two million people of the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India and parts of Doti region in Western Nepal. As per 1961 survey there were 1,030,254 Kumaoni speakers in ...
as their first-language and live mostly in
Kumaon region
Kumaon (; Kumaoni: ''Kumāū''; ; historically romanized as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded ...
in the
Indian Himalayas
The Indian Himalayan Region (abbreviated to IHR) is the section of the Himalayas within the Republic of India, spanning seven Indian states and union territories, namely Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West ...
.
Kumaoni is also used as an address for people who have their origin in Kumaon. The word ''Kumain'' is a direct derivative of Kumaoni.
History
Worshipping
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
is predominant in this region. According to ''
Skanda Purana
The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest ''Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumaram, Kaumara literature, titled after Kartikeya ...
''. Kumaon is believed to be the birth place of Kurma avtar of Hindu god Vishnu.
Kurmanchal Kingdom
Kurmanchal kingdom was a medieval kingdom of Kumaon. it was established by Vasudeo Katyuri and capital was Baijnath, it was one of the oldest Himalayan kingdoms and unified most of the Himalayas and was extended from
Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
in the east to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
in the west at its peak, after the fall of the kingdom it was divided into 8 different princely states. The next ruling clan of Kumaon was 'Manrals' the dynasty at its peak controlled
Tons to
Karnail river. Kumaon was one of the few countries of
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
that were never ruled or conquered by any Muslim dynasties.
British Raj
There was widespread opposition to British rule in various parts of Kumaon. The Kumaoni people, especially from the
Champawat
Champawat ( Kumaoni: ''Champāvat'') is a town and a Nagar Palika Parishad in Champawat district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Champawat district. The town was the former capital of the Kumaon Kingd ...
District, rose in rebellion against the British during the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
. Under the leadership of
Kalu Singh Mahara
Kalu Singh Mahara was a Kumaoni(Kumauni) leader during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He is known as a freedom fighter from the state of Uttarakhand, then in the United Province.
Kalu Singh began a campaign named as Krantiveer. It became was popu ...
, many Kumaonis also joined the
Indian National Army led by
Subash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose ( ; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperi ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
In other countries
In Nepal there are certain castes of Brahmins who migrated from Kumaon to Nepal during the medieval period now characterized as 'Kumain Bahun' or 'Kumai Bahuns'.
Language
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
designated Kumaoni as language in the ''endangered and unsafe'' category which requires consistent conservation efforts.
Culture
Traditional attire
There are various attires worn in Kumaon.
Pichhaura is a notable traditional attire of Kumaoni women generally worn for religious occasions, marriage, and other rituals. Traditionally handmade using vegetable dyes, Pichhauras are available in red and saffron. Local designs made in Almora, Haldwani and other parts of Kumaon use
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
fabric and accessories made of
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
. It is also contemporarily made using machines.
Kumaoni men wear Kumaoni cap, which is a black colour headgear. Apart from it, white colour Kumaoni cap is used during festivals, especially, during
Kumaoni holi
Kumauni or Kumaoni Holi (कुमाँऊनी होली), is the historical and cultural celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi in the region of Kumaon, India. It is one of the most important festivals for the Kumauni people as it sig ...
.
Festivals
After harvesting season people mostly relax, rejoice, dance and sing, and thus a festival is generated. At the transition of the sun from one constellation to another
Sankranti
Sankranti ( sa, संक्रान्ति ''saṁkrānti or saṅkramaṇa'') means transmigration of the Sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy.
Each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month in the sidereal solar calen ...
is observed. Each Sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumaon. Fooldeyi, Bikhauti,
Harela
Harela is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and in some regions of Himachal Pradesh. This festival is very popular in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, and is celebrated by the name Harela (हरेला). This nam ...
, Ghee Sankranti, Khatarua, Ghughutiya are the most-observed Sankranties throughout the region. Other festivals have the bearings in the moon and thus the dates change frequently in the Gregorian Calendar.
Basant Panchami
Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
, Shiv Ratri,
Saton–Athon,
Kumauni Holi, Uttarayani,
Samvatsar Parwa,
Ram Navami
Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...
, Dashra, Batsavitri,
Rakshabandhan
Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...
, Janmastmi, Nandastmi, and
Deepawali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali (IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is on ...
are some of the auspicious occasions.
Dashain or Vijaydashmi
Dasshera festival starts in Kumaon with the performance of ''
Ramlila
Ramlila (Rāmlīlā) (literally 'Rama's lila or play') is any dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' or secondary literature based on it such as the ''Ramcharitmanas''. It particularly ...
,'' which is itself unique as it is based on the musical rendering of the ''katha'' or story of
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
based on the theatrical traditions set by
Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar (8 December 1900 – 26 September 1977) was an Indian dancer and choreographer, best known for creating a fusion style of dance, adapting European theatrical techniques to Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian cl ...
while on his stay in
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
. These traditions were further enriched by
Mohan Upreti
Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
A popular figure in Kumaon, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the ...
and Brijendra Lal Sah. Known as the Almora or Kumaon style, Ramlila has been recognised by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as one of the representative styles of Ramlila in India.
[Ramlila – the Traditional Performance of the Ramayana]
''UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
''. The 150-year-old ''Kumaoni Ramlila'' was declared as the longest running opera in the world by UNESCO.
Folk dances
Chholiya
Chholiya (or Chhaliya; Kumaoni: ) or Hudkeli (or Hudke; ) is a traditional folk dance form originated in the Kumaon division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and Sudurpashchim province of Nepal. It has today become a symbol of Kumaoni and ...
is popular dance in Kumaon region. It is the oldest folk-dance of Uttarakhand.
Jhoda and Chanchari are other folk dances of Kumaon.
Theatre
Kumaoni theatre, which developed through its 'Ramleela' plays, later evolved into a modern theatre form through the efforts of theatre stalwarts like
Mohan Upreti
Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
A popular figure in Kumaon, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the ...
and Dinesh Pandey and groups like 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra' (started by Mohan Upreti) and 'Parvatiya Lok Kala Manch'. Besides this the famous Hindi poet, Sumitranandan Pant also hailed from Kausani, district Bageshwar.
Radio
* Trans World Radio (USA) – 7320 Hz (Shortwave)
Cuisine
Kumaoni food is simple and comprises largely of vegetables and pulses. Vegetables like
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
(''aaloo''),
radish
The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.
Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw ...
(''mooli''), colocacia leaves (''arbi ke patte'', ''papad''),
pumpkin (''kaddoo''),
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
(''palak'') and many others are grown locally by the largely agrarian populace and consumed in various forms.
Population
In 2011, the census reported a total of 2,081,057 Kumaoni speaker in India, constituting 0.17% of the country's population.
In Kumaon
As per 2011 Indian census, there were 1,981,062 (95.19%) Kumaoni speakers in the
Kumaon division
Kumaon (; Kumaoni: ''Kumāū''; ; historically romanized as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded ...
.
Kumaoni diaspora
There is a large Kumaoni diaspora in other states as well as outside India. However, due to the usage and acceptance of Hindi as their mother tongue, many Kumaonis do not list the Kumaoni language as their mother tongue. Hence there is an absence of data number of ethnic Kumaonis living outside Kumaon.
Kumaoni speakers in other Indian states
''Source:''
International diaspora
There is a large Kumaoni diaspora in neighbouring
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
, because of Katyuri and Kumaon Kingdom. The actual speakers of Kumaoni in other countries, however, are not known. Though there is a presence of Kumaoni speakers outside India and Nepal, especially in Western countries. The Kumaoni NRIs are again returning to their culture with more awareness and concern about its importance and survival.
Notable people
See also
*
Kumaoni (disambiguation)
*
Maneaters of Kumaon
''Man-Eaters of Kumaon'' is a 1944 book written by hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett. It details the experiences that Corbett had in the Kumaon region of India from the 1900s to the 1930s, while hunting man-eating Bengal tigers and Indian leopards. ...
*
Kumaon Regiment
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world war ...
*
Garhwali people
The Garhwali people are an Indian ethnolinguistic group native to the Garhwal, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, who speak Garhwali, an Indo-Aryan language.
Etymology
In modern usage, "Garhwali" is used to refer to anyone whose linguist ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumauni People
Kumaon division
Social groups of Uttarakhand
Ethnic groups in India
Khas people
Indo-Aryan peoples