Kumaoni............................................

Kumaoni (कुमाँऊनी) are the people of Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, a region in the Indian Himalayas. Kumaoni language(कुमाँऊनी) forms the Central subgroup of the Pahari languages.

Kumaoni is one of the 325 recognized Indian languages, and is spoken by over 2,360,000 people of Indian states of Uttarakhand - Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat, Rudrapur (Udhamsingh Nagar) districts; Assam; Bihar; Delhi; Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra and Punjab, besides being spoken in some regions of Himachal Pradesh and Nepal.

Amongst its dialects, the Central Kumauni is spoken in Almora and northern Nainital, Northeastern Kumauni is in Pithoragarh, Southeastern Kumauni is in Southeastern Nainital, Western Kumauni is west of Almora and Nainital.

UNESCO’s Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger designates Kumaoni as language in the unsafe category and which requires consistent conservation efforts. 

Dialects of Kumaon region

In all, there are 20 dialects spoken in the Kumaon region, including, Johari, Majh Kumaiya, Danpuriya, Askoti, Sirali, Soryali, Chaugarkhyali, Kumaiya, Gangola, Khasparjia, Phaldakoti, Pachhai, and Rauchaubhaisi.

Dialects of Kumaoni Language

Central Pahari

Kali Kumaon, Central Kumaoni

North-Eastern Kumaoni

South-Eastern Kumaoni

Western Kumaoni

Askoti of Askot

Bhabhri of Rampur

Chaugarkhiyali of Chaugarkha

Danpuriya of Danpur

Gangoli of Ganai-Gangoli

Johari of Malla and Talla Johar

Khasparjiya of Almora

Kumaiyya

Pachhai of Pali-Pachhhau

Pashchimi

Phaldakotiya of Phaldkot

Rhau-Chaubyansi Upper Himalayan Byans and Rau Valleys

Sirali of Sirakot

Soriyali of Sor Valley (Pithoragarh)

Baitada of Baitadi-Darchula area of Nepal and area of Pithoragarh District

Dotiyali of Dadeldhura and Doti district of Nepal

Note: Baitada Dialect and Askoti Dialect are almost similar dialect.

Tibeto-Burman (NOT dialects of Kumaoni; these non-Indo-European languages are indeed spoken in Kumaon)

Rang or Rung

Darmyali

Bangbani

Spoken in Upper Reaches of Kumaon Himalayas.

Kumaoni literature

Kumaoni language has had many note worthy writers, prominent among them are

Gumani Pant

Girish Tiwari (Girda)

Shailesh Matiyani 

Mohan Upreti 

Sher Singh Bisht reknowed as Sherda Anpad

Jeevan Chandra Joshi 'Jeevan Barbajyu'

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Shah

Puran Chandra Joshi

Gyan Pant

Devki Nandan Kandpal

Dr.Deepa Kandpal

Dr.Dev Singh Pokhariya

Himanshu Joshi

Damodar Joshi 'Dewanshu'

Bansidhar Pathak 'Jigyashu'

Dr.Prayag Joshi

Dr.Diwa Bhatt

Bahadur Bora 'Sribandhu'

Dr.Sher Singh Bisht

Shekhar Joshi

Mathura Dutt Mathpal

Rajendra Bora

Jagdish Joshi

Naveen Joshi

Dr.Yogendra Prasad Joshi 'Nawal'

Navin Joshi 'Navendu'

Hayat Singh Rawat

Mahendra Matiyani

Jugal Kishor Petshali

Charu Chandra Pandey

Balam Singh Janouti

Kailash Chandra Lohani

Gopal Dutt Bhatt

Parvati Upreti

Mohammal Ali Ajnabi

Devki Parvtiya

Veena Pani Joshi

Ghananand Pandey

Mohan Ram Tamta 'Mohan Kumaouni'

M.D. Andola

Deepak Karki

Anil Bhoj

Uday Kiroula

Girish Tiwari 'Girda'

Narayal Singh Bisht

Sher Singh Mehra 'Kumaoni'

Shemual Madho Singh

Karam Singh Bhandari

Kumaoni in Media

Films

'Megha Aa', (First Kumaoni Film). Director Kaka Sharma, Produced S S Bisht, 1987. 

'Teri Saun', (First film both in Kumaoni and Garhwali) , written, produced, and directed by Anuj Joshi, 2003.

'Aapun Biraan' (Apne Paraye) by Shri Kartikey Cine Productions. Produced By Bhaskar Singh Rawat. 2007.

'Madhuli' by Anamika Film, 2008.

Theatre

Kumaoni theatre which developed through its 'Ramleela' plays,later evolved into a modern theatre form with the efforts of theatre stalwarts like Mohan Upreti and Dinesh Pandey, and groups like 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra' (started by Mohan Upreti) and 'Parvatiya Lok Kala Manch'.

Music

Kumaoni folk music had its root in the lap of nature. The pure and blessed music have the feel and the touch of nature and subjects related to nature. The folk music primarily is related to the various festivals, religious traditions, folk stories and simple life of the people of Kumaon. Thus the songs of Kumaoni are a true reflection of the Cultural Heritage and the way people lives their lives in the Himalayas.

There are many kinds of folk songs from the area, including ceremonial mandals, martial panwaras and melancholy khuded, thadya and jhoda.

Musical instruments used in Kumaon music include the dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja. Tabla and harmonium are also used, but to a lesser extent.

The Music and its development have seen various phases of growth and have undergone lots of transformation during the course of time.

The earliest of the singers who left never ending impressions on the folk music of Kumaon were :

1.The most famous personality associated with Kumaoni Folk Music is Mohan Upreti, who is known for his Nanda Devi Jagar & Rajula Malu Shahi Ballad.

He is famous for the great Kumaoni song Bedu Pako Baro Masa which for many years the identity of the hills of Uttarakahand. It is said this song was also a favourite of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru who heard it in a band march as this song is also apopular marching song.

2. Shri Gopal Babu Goswami who is considered to be a legend in Kumaon for his melodious voice.

His songs on the life of the members of the armed forces and their families like Kaile baje muruli , Ghughuti na basa and many others are legendary, it is said that when these songs were transmitted on All India Radio women with their husbands could not help but weep when they heard the soul touching voice of Gopal Da as he was lovingly called.

3. Heera Singh Rana is identified as a singer and a social activist whose songs tell the tale of the pain of the people of the hills .

Some of the hit songs / albums being Fauji Lalit Mohan Joshi's "Maya Ki Yaad", "Tak Taka Kamla" and many other hit albums / songs