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
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ...
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
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 stat ...
and Raso. Fair like
Magh Mela and Bissu held which mark the harvesting period.
References
Scheduled Tribes of Uttarakhand
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