Manbhumi ( bn, মানভূমী, Mānbhūmī, ) is the local
Bengali dialect
The dialects of the Bengali language are part of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group of the Indo-European language family widely spoken in the Bengal region of South Asia. The spoken dialects of Bengali are mutually intelligible with neighbo ...
spoken in the district of
Purulia
Purulia is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River.
Geography
Location
Purulia is located at . It has an average ele ...
, and adjacent area of other districts of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
and
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
, previously
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon re-organisation of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, present Purulia district was ca ...
, in Eastern India. It is one of the
Bengali dialects, having very prominent Hindi and
Odia blending in it. Manbhumi has a rich tradition of folk songs sung in various occasions. Tusu songs are sung by village girls during a month-long observance of Tusu festival in villages of Purulia and some parts of
Barddhaman
Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...
,
Bankura
Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district.
Etymology
In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...
and
Birbhum
Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impo ...
districts of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
and parts of
East Singhbhum
East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...
,
Saraikela Kharsawan,
Bokaro,
Dhanbad
Dhanbad is the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand after Jamshedpur. It ranks as the 42nd largest city in India and is the 33rd largest million-plus urban agglomeration in India. Dhanbad shares its land borders with P ...
and
Ranchi districts of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
.
Bhadu songs,
Karam songs,
Baul
The Baul ( bn, বাউল) are a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Sufism, Vaishnavism and Tantra from Bangladesh and the neighboring Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley and Meghalaya. Bauls cons ...
songs and
Jhumar song
Jhumur or Jhumar or Jhumair is a folk music of Sadanic language spoken by people of Chota Nagpur plateau, primarily in Jharkhand, southwestern region of West Bengal and northern part of Odisha. Also in the Tea State of Assam due to emigration. ...
s are also composed in Manbhumi. Manbhumi songs are used by
Chhau performers of Purulia School to depict various mythological events. Chhau is one of the distinguished dance forms of this geographical region which has been accorded the status of
Intangible cultural heritage 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 ...
in 2009.
Regional variation
This dialect is spoken in the
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon re-organisation of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, present Purulia district was ca ...
area and has its extended regional variants throughout southern border area of
Medinipur division
Medinipur Division is one of the 5 divisions in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the westernmost division of West Bengal. Earlier it was a part of Burdwan division and was curved out from it in 2016. The port city of Haldia is located i ...
of West Bengal, south eastern border of
Kolhan division
Kolhan division is one of the five divisions in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The division comprises three districts: East Singhbhum, Seraikela Kharsawan district, and West Singhbhum. The three districts were earlier a part of South Chotana ...
of Jharkhand and
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-pop ...
,
Kendujhar district
Kendujhar District, is an administrative district of Odisha. The district is one of the fifth Scheduled Areas of Odisha. The town of Kendujhar (or Kendujhargarh) is the district headquarters. The district has 3 Sub-Divisions, Anandapur, Cham ...
of Odisha.
::
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon re-organisation of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, present Purulia district was ca ...
: æk loker duţa beţa chhilô. (M)
::
East Medinipur: gote loker duiţa toka thilo. (M)
::
Dhalbhum
Dhalbhum was the name given to parganas Supur and Ambikanagar in the Khatra area of present Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Bankura'', ''Bengal District Gazetteers'', pp. 194-195, 1995 reprint, fir ...
/
East Singhbhum
East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...
: ek loker duţa chha chhilo. (M)
::
Pashchim Bardhaman district: kono loker duiţi chhele chhilo. (M)
::
Ranchi: æk loker du beţa rahe. (M)
::
Baharagora
Baharagora is a village in the Baharagora CD block in the Ghatshila subdivision of the East Singhbhum district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Baharagora CD block was established in 1956.
Geography
Location
Baharagora is loca ...
/
Gopiballavpur
Gopiballavpur is a village and a gram panchayat in the Gopiballavpur I CD block in the Jhargram subdivision of the Jhargram district of West Bengal, India.
History
Earlier this area was a part of Mayurbhanj princely state. The place was earlie ...
: gotae noker duţa po thailaa. (M)
::
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-pop ...
: akţa loker duţa beţa chhilo. (M)
::
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon re-organisation of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, present Purulia district was ca ...
: tumhra kuthay jachho? (M)
::
East Medinipur: tumra kaai jaoţo? (M)
::
Dhalbhum
Dhalbhum was the name given to parganas Supur and Ambikanagar in the Khatra area of present Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Bankura'', ''Bengal District Gazetteers'', pp. 194-195, 1995 reprint, fir ...
/
East Singhbhum
East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...
: tumhra kaai jachho? (M)
::
Pashchim Bardhaman district: tumra kuthay jachchho? (M)
::
Ranchi: tumharman kahan jaatraho? (M)
::
Baharagora
Baharagora is a village in the Baharagora CD block in the Ghatshila subdivision of the East Singhbhum district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Baharagora CD block was established in 1956.
Geography
Location
Baharagora is loca ...
/
Gopiballavpur
Gopiballavpur is a village and a gram panchayat in the Gopiballavpur I CD block in the Jhargram subdivision of the Jhargram district of West Bengal, India.
History
Earlier this area was a part of Mayurbhanj princely state. The place was earlie ...
: tumarkar kaai jaoţo ? (M)
::
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-pop ...
: tora kahi jachho ? (M)
::
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon re-organisation of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, present Purulia district was ca ...
: Chhana ţa bhalo padhchhe (M)
::
East Medinipur: pila ţa bhala padhţe? (M)
::
Dhalbhum
Dhalbhum was the name given to parganas Supur and Ambikanagar in the Khatra area of present Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Bankura'', ''Bengal District Gazetteers'', pp. 194-195, 1995 reprint, fir ...
/
East Singhbhum
East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...
: Chha ţa bhalo padhchhe? (M)
::
Pashchim Bardhaman district: Chhana ţa bhalo padhchhe (M)
::
Ranchi: Chhaua ţa bes padhatrahe (M)
::
Baharagora
Baharagora is a village in the Baharagora CD block in the Ghatshila subdivision of the East Singhbhum district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Baharagora CD block was established in 1956.
Geography
Location
Baharagora is loca ...
/
Gopiballavpur
Gopiballavpur is a village and a gram panchayat in the Gopiballavpur I CD block in the Jhargram subdivision of the Jhargram district of West Bengal, India.
History
Earlier this area was a part of Mayurbhanj princely state. The place was earlie ...
: Chha ţa bhala padheţe. (M)
::
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-pop ...
: Chhana ţa bhalo padchhe. (M)
The latter two, along with
Kharia Thar and
Mal Paharia, are closely related to Western Bengali dialects, but are typically classified as separate languages.
References
{{Bengali language
Eastern Indo-Aryan languages
Bengali dialects
Languages of West Bengal