Chhattisgarh Language, Culture and Social Customs
Chhattisgarh Language, Culture and Social Customs tests Chhattisgarhi language basics and the folk traditions of the state's rural and tribal communities.
Language
- Chhattisgarhi is an Indo-Aryan language written in Devanagari; it is the widely spoken regional language, while Hindi is the official language of the state.
- Regional varieties include Surgujiya in the north and Halbi-influenced speech in Bastar.
- Questions usually ask about script, status and the region of a dialect rather than deep grammar.
Folk performances
- Pandwani: solo narration of Mahabharata episodes with a tambura; Teejan Bai and Punaram Nishad are celebrated exponents.
- Raut Nacha: stick dance of the Yadav community, performed around Diwali.
- Panthi: dance of the Satnami community with a distinctive circular movement.
- Karma, Saila, Sua and Kaksar are other well-known forms.
- Ballads: Chandaini and Bharthari; Sohar songs mark childbirth.
Festivals and customs
- Hareli: farmers worship agricultural implements in Shravan.
- Pola: the festival of bullocks, widely celebrated in rural areas.
- Bastar Dussehra: a roughly 75-day celebration centred on the Danteshwari temple.
- Madai: local fairs in tribal districts, such as Fagun Madai.
- Abujhmaria and Hill Korwa are among the state's particularly vulnerable tribal groups.
Worked example
A performer narrates Mahabharata episodes in Chhattisgarhi with a tambura. Which form is this? Reasoning: the name Pandwani comes from Pandava, and the form is narrative singing, not dance. Answer: Pandwani.
Traps
- Calling Pandwani a dance form.
- Treating Bastar Dussehra as a ten-day festival; it runs far longer.
- Swapping Raut Nacha and Panthi between the Yadav and Satnami communities.