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			{{Short description\|Ethnolinguistic group of India and Nepal}}
	{{refimprove\|date=June 2010}}
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=April 2022}}
	{{infobox ethnic group \|
			{{Use Indian English\|date=July 2017}}
	group = Kumaoni/Kumauni \|
			{{more citations needed\|date=June 2010}}
	\|image =
			{{coord missing\|Uttarakhand}}
	\|image_caption =
	\|poptime =
	\|popplace = Primary populations in:
	*]

	Populations in:
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

			{{Infobox ethnic group
	Other:
			\| group = Kumaonis
	*]
			\| image =
	*]
			\| image_caption =
	*]
			\| popplace =
	\|
			\|region1 = {{flag\|India}} (])
	langs = ], ] \|
			\|pop1 = 2.2 million* (2011 census)
	rels = ] ]\|
			\|ref1 = <ref name="Ethnologue21">{{e21}}</ref>
	related-c = ], ], ], ]\|
			\| langs = ]
			\| religions = '''Majority'''<br />] ]
			<br />'''Minority'''{{hlist\|
			] ]}}
			<ref>{{usurped\|1=}}", Trans-Himalayan Linguistics 266 (2014): 11-40.</ref>
			\| related = other ], ], ]
			\| native_name = कुमाऊंनी, कुमयी
			\| native_name_lang = ]
			\| footnotes = *The population figures are only of the number of speakers of the Kumaoni language. May not include ethnic Kumaonis who no longer speak the Kumaoni language, but other languages.
	}}		}}
	'''Kumauni''' or '''Kumaoni''' are people from ] region of ], India.In colloquial language, people of Kumaon are also referred to as "Pahari" though that is not a specific reference.

			'''Kumaonis''', also known as '''Kumaiye''' and '''Kumain''' (in Nepal),<ref name="Geller"/> are an ] ethnolinguistic group who speak ] as their first-language and live mostly in ] in the state of ] in ].
	They include all those who speak the ] or any of its numerous dialects, living in the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] districts of Uttarakhand, India.

			Kumaoni is also used as a term for people who have their origin in Kumaon. The word ''Kumain'' is a direct derivative of Kumaoni.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Dynamics of a hill society: in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas\|author=Subba, Tanka Bahadur\|date=1989\|publisher=Mittal Publications\|isbn=9788173041143\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yZuAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>
	Significant populations of Kumauni people exist in ] especially in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]; ], the ], and some regions of ] like ] and ].

			]

	==History==		==History==
			], Nainital City, Kumaon {{circa\|2007}}]]
	===Traditional social structure===
			Worshipping ] and ] is predominant in this region. According to '']''. Kumaon is believed to be the birth place of Kurma avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.<ref>{{Cite journal\|last1=Sternbach\|first1=Ludwik\|last2=Gupta\|first2=Anand Swarup\|last3=Bhattacharya\|first3=Ahibhushan\|last4=Mukherji\|first4=Satkari\|last5=Varma\|first5=Virendra Kurma\|last6=Rai\|first6=Ganga Sagar\|last7=Gupta\|first7=Anand Swarup\|date=April 1974\|title=The Kūrma Purāṇa\|journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society\|volume=94\|issue=2\|pages=250\|doi=10.2307/600927\|jstor=600927\|issn=0003-0279}}</ref>
	Traditional Kumaoni society consisted of three ]<ref name="archive.org"></ref> -
	*Brahmins
	*Kumauni/Khas Rajput
	*Shilpkars


	Khas Rajputs or Kumaoni Rajputs were mostly the administrative, military and land owning ] they held land in lieu of military service. Brahmins the clergy and Shilpkars the artistes, businessmen and the artisans.{{cn\|date=February 2013}}

	===Katyuri Raj===
	{{main\|Katyuri Kings}}
	The Katyuri dynasty was a branch of Kuninda origin founded by Vashudev Katyuri. Originally, from Joshimath, during their reign they dominated lands of varying extent from the 'Katyur' (modern day Baijnath) valley in Kumaon, between 7th and 11th centuries C.E., and established their capital at Baijnath in Bageshwar district; which was then known as Kartikeyapura and lies in the centre of 'Katyur' valley. Brahmadev mandi (a trading / business center in a flat area of the then Katyuri kingdom) in the Kanchanpur District of Nepal was established by Katyuris king Brahma Deo (Brahma Dev). Brahmadeo Mandi still exists by this name.

	At its peak, the Katyuri kingdom extended from Nepal in the east to Kabul, Afghanistan in the west, before fragmenting into numerous principalities by the 12th century. They were displaced by the Chand Kings in the 11th century AD. Architectural remains of the Katyur dynasty's rule can be found in Baijnath and Dwarahat.

	The Rajbar dynasty of Askot in Pithoragarh, was set up in the 1279 AD, by a branch of the Katyuri Kings, headed by Abhay Pal Deo, who was the grandson of Katyuri king, Brahm Deo . The dynasty ruled the region until it became part of the British Raj through the treaty of Sighauli in 1816. The Doti Kingdom is another strong kingdom of Katyuri dynasty. They were known as Rainka Maharaj, presently Doti is a part of Nepal.

	===Chand Raj===
	{{main\|Chand Kings}}

	The Chand kingdom was established by Som Chand, who arrived from Kannuaj near Allahabad, sometime in the 10th century, and displaced the Katyuri Kings, originally from Katyur valley near Joshimath, who had been ruling the area from the 7th century AD. He continued to call his state Kurmanchal, and established its capital in Champawat in Kali Kumaon, called so, due to its vicinity to river Kali. Many temples built in this former capital city, during the 11th and 12th centuries exist today, this include the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples.

	They had brief stints with the Rajput clans in Gangoli and Bankot then predominant there the Mankotis of Mankot, the ]s of Attigaon-Kamsyar, Kalakotis and many other Khas Rajput Clans of the region. However they were able to establish their domain there.

	One of most powerful ruler of Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78) AD, who met Shah Jahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack ], which was under its king, Pirthi Shah, and subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was hence separated from the Garhwal kingdom. Baz Bahadur extended his territory east to karnali river.

	In 1672, Baz Bahadur, started a poll tax, and its revenue was sent to Delhi as a tribute. Baz Bahadur also built the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal, after Lord Golu, a general in his army, who died valiantly at war. He also built famous Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal.
	Towards the end of the 17th century, Chand Rajas again attacked Garhwal kingdom, and in 1688, Udyot Chand, erected several temples at Almora, including Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwer and Parbateshwer, to mark his victory over Garhwal and Doti, the Pabateshwar temple was renamed twice, to become the present Nanda Devi temple.<ref name=Temple> www.uttaranchal.org.</ref> Gyan chand, the king of kumaun ascended the throne in 1698. In 1699 he attacked garhwal, which was under the king Fateh Shah. He crossed Ramganga river and plundered Sabli, Khatli, and Sainchar. In 1701, Fateh shah entered in Chaukote (now Syalde region with 3 part, Talla Chaukote (lower), Malla Chaukote (Upper) and Bichla Chaukote (middle)) and Gewar vally (region of Chaukhitiya, masi and dwarahat) as reply. The Kumaonis defeated the Garhwalis in the battle of Duduli (near Melchauri in Garhwal). In 1707, the Kumaon forces annexed Juniyagarh in Bichla Chaukot (syalde), and razed the old fort at Chandpur. Later, Jagat Chand (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar, and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin. However, a subsequent king of Garhwal, Pradip Shah (1717–72), regained control over Garhwal and retained Doon till 1757, when Rohilla leader, Najib-ul-Daula, established himself there, though he was ousted soon by Pradip Shah.

			===Kurmanchal Kingdom===
	The present living King of Kumaon Kingdom is Raja Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet (Pithoragarh), married to Rani Gita Chand of Rina and has three childrens. Rajkumari Aakanksha Chand, Rajkumari Mallika Chand and Rajkumar Aryan Chand.
			The ] was a medieval kingdom of Kumaon. it was established by Vasudeo Katyuri. Its capital was ]. It was one of the oldest Himalayan kingdoms, unified most of the Himalayas, and extended from ] in the east to ] in the west at its peak. After the fall of the kingdom, it was divided into eight princely states. The next ruling clan of Kumaon were the Manrals. The dynasty at its peak controlled the ] to the ] river. Kumaon was one of the few countries of ] that were never ruled or conquered by any Muslim dynasties.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Pande, Badri Datt\|title=History of Kumaun (English version of "Kumaun ka itihas").\|date=1993\|publisher=Shyam Prakashan\|isbn=81-900209-4-3\|oclc=833063116}}</ref>

	===British Raj===		===British Raj===
	]		]
			There was widespread opposition to British rule in various parts of Kumaon. The Kumaoni people, especially from the ] District, rose in rebellion against the British during the ]. Under the leadership of ], many Kumaonis also joined the ] led by ] during the ].<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222180339/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20091108/dun.htm#2 \|date=22 February 2020 }}. Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved on 27 September 2011.</ref>

			===In other countries===
	Later, the region was annexed by the ] in 1815, and was governed for seventy years on the non-regulation system by three administrators, Mr. Traill, Mr J. H. Batten and Sir Henry Ramsay. The ] was established at ] in 1813, it still gets its recruits from Kumaonis of ] and ] from the plains.<ref></ref>
			In Nepal there are castes of ]s who migrated from Kumaon to Nepal during the medieval period. They are now characterized as 'Kumain Bahun' or 'Kumai Bahuns'.<ref name="Geller">{{Cite book\|last1=Gellner\|first1=David N.\|last2=Hausner\|first2=Sondra L.\|last3=Letizia\|first3=Chiara\|title=Religion, secularism, and ethnicity in contemporary Nepal\|year=2016\|isbn=978-0-19-946772-3\|oclc=959843644}}</ref>

			==Language==
	There were widespread opposition against British rule in various parts of Kumaon. The Kumauni people especially ] District rose in rebellion against the British during the ] under the leadership of ].<ref>. Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-27.</ref>
			{{Main\|Kumaoni language}}
			] designated Kumaoni as language in the ''endangered and unsafe'' category which requires consistent conservation efforts.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1565.html \|title=UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger \|publisher=] \|access-date=3 September 2010}}</ref>

			==Culture==
	In 1891 the division was composed of the three districts of Kumaon, ] and the Tarai; but the two districts of Kumaon and the Tarai were subsequently redistributed and renamed after their headquarters, Nainital and Almora.{{cn\|date=February 2013}}
			===Traditional attire===
			Various attires are worn in Kumaon.
			]
			]
			Pichhaura is a 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 ] and accessories made of ]. It is now made using machines.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Upadhyay \|first1=Vineet \|title=NRI pahadi brides eye Kumaoni 'Pichora' \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/NRI-pahadi-brides-eye-Kumaoni-Pichora/articleshow/50163441.cms \|access-date=11 January 2020 \|work=The Times of India \|date=13 December 2015 \|language=en}}</ref>

			Kumaoni men wear the black Kumaoni cap. White Kumaoni caps are worn during festivals, especially, during ].
	Gandhi's advent sounded a death knell for the British in Kumaon. People now aware of the excesses of British Raj became defiant of it and played an active part in the Indian movement for independence.{{cn\|date=February 2013}}

			===Festivals===
	Gandhi was revered in these parts and on his call the struggle of Saalam Satyagraha led by Ram Singh Dhoni was started which shook the very roots of British rule in Kumaon.<ref name="Saalam Saliya Satyagraha an important chapter of the Indian Freedom Movement">. Mera Pahad (2010-03-05). Retrieved on 2011-09-27.</ref>
			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 ] is observed. Each Sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumaon. Fooldeyi, Bikhauti, ], 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. ], Shiv Ratri, ], ], Uttarayani,<ref name=":0">{{cite news \|last1=Jha \|first1=Prashant \|title=Uttarayani Mela starts in Bageshwar \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/uttarayani-mela-starts-in-bageshwar/articleshow/73255317.cms \|access-date=6 February 2020 \|work=The Times of India \|date=15 January 2020 \|language=en}}</ref> Samvatsar Parwa, ], Dashra, Batsavitri, ], Janmastmi, Nandastmi, and ] are some of the auspicious occasions.<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411204148/http://www.euttaranchal.com/culture/fairs_festivals/ \|date=11 April 2010 }}. Euttaranchal.com. Retrieved on 27 September 2011.</ref>

			====Dashain or Vijaydashmi====
	==Language==
			{{Main\|Dashain}}
	{{main\|Kumaoni language}}
			Dasshera festival starts in Kumaon with the performance of ''],'' which is itself unique as it is based on the musical rendering of the ''katha'' or story of ] based on the theatrical traditions set by ] while on his stay in ]. These traditions were further enriched by ] and Brijendra Lal Sah. Known as the Almora or Kumaon style, Ramlila has been recognised by ] as one of the representative styles of Ramlila in India.<ref name=un> '']''.</ref> The 150-year-old ''Kumaoni Ramlila'' was declared as the longest running opera in the world by UNESCO.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/do-you-know-that-kumaons-ram-leela-is-the-oldest-in-the-world/as71441650.cms\|title=Do you know that Kumaon's Ram Leela is the oldest in the world?\|date=4 October 2019\|work=Times of India Travel\|access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref>
	UNESCO designated Kumaoni as language in the ''unsafe'' category and which requires consistent conservation efforts.<ref>{{dead link\|date=September 2011}}</ref>

	==~~Culture~~==		===Folk dances===
			] is popular dance in Kumaon region. It is the oldest folk-dance of Uttarakhand.<ref>{{cite news \|title=उत्तराखंड में छोलिया है सबसे पुराना लोकनृत्य, जानिए इसकी खास बातें \|url=https://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/dehradun-city-choliya-is-the-oldest-folk-dance-of-uttarakhand-19707465.html \|access-date=12 March 2020 \|work=Dainik Jagran \|date=29 October 2019 \|language=hi}}</ref>
	===Festivals===
			Jhoda and Chanchari are other folk dances of Kumaon.
	After harvesting season people mostly relax, rejoice, dance and sing thus a festival is generated. At the transition of sun from one constellation to another Sankranti is observed. Each Sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumoun. Fooldeyi, Bikhauti, Harela, Ghee Sankranti, Khatarua, Uttaraini are the mostly observed Sankranties throughout the region. Other festivals have the bearings in the moon and the dates changed frequently in Gregorian Calendar. Basant Panchami, Shiv Ratri, Holi, Samvatsar Parwa, Ram Navami, Dashra, Batsavitri, Rakshabandhan, Janmastmi, Nandastmi, Deepawali etc. are some of the auspicious occasions.<ref>. Euttaranchal.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-27.</ref>

	====Dasshera or Bijaydashmi====
	{{main\|Vijayadashami}}
	Dasshera festival starts in Kumaon with the performance of '']'' which is itself unique as it is based on the musical rendering of the ''katha'' or story of ] based on the theatrical traditions set by ] while on his stay in ] these traditions were further enrichened by ] and Brijendra Lal Sah. Known as the Almora or Kumaon style Ramlila has been recognised by ] as one of the representative styles of Ramlila in India<ref name=un> '']''.</ref>

	===Theatre===		===Theatre===
	Kumaoni theatre which developed through its 'Ramleela' plays,<ref> Theatre at iloveindia.</ref> later evolved into a modern theatre form ~~with~~ the efforts of theatre stalwarts like ] and Dinesh Pandey, and groups like 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra' (started by Mohan Upreti) and 'Parvatiya Lok Kala Manch'		Kumaoni theatre, which developed through its 'Ramleela' plays,<ref> Theatre at iloveindia.</ref> later evolved into a modern theatre form through the efforts of theatre stalwarts like ] and Dinesh Pandey and groups like 'Parvatiya Kala Kendra' (started by Mohan Upreti) and 'Parvatiya Lok Kala Manch'. Besides this the famous Hindi poet, ] also hailed from Kausani, district Bageshwar.

	===Radio===		===Radio===
	* Trans World Radio (USA) – 7320 Hz (Shortwave)<ref> KUM Kumaoni/Kumauni.</ref>		* Trans World Radio (USA) – 7320 Hz (Shortwave)<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803191849/http://users.fulladsl.be/spb13810/swlist/KUM/index.htm \|date=3 August 2009 }} KUM Kumaoni/Kumauni.</ref>

	===Cuisine===		===Cuisine===
	{{Main\|Kumaoni cuisine}}		{{Main\|Kumaoni cuisine}}
			]
	Kumaoni food is simple and comprises largely of vegetables and pulses. It is highly nutritious to enable survival in the hard environment of the hills and cold climate.
			Kumaoni food is simple and comprises largely of vegetables and pulses. Vegetables like ] (''aaloo''), ] (''mooli''), colocacia leaves (''arbi ke patte'', ''papad''), ] (''kaddoo''), ] (''palak'') and many others are grown locally by the largely agrarian populace and consumed in various forms.

			==Population==
	Vegetables like Potato (aaloo), Radish (Mooli), Colocacia leaves (Arbi ke patte, papad), Pumpkin (kaddoo), Spinach (palak) and many others are grown locally by the largely agrarian populace and consumed in various forms. The popular preparations are :-
			In 2011, the census reported a total of 2,081,057 Kumaoni speaker in India, constituting 0.17% of the country's population.<ref name="Census"/>

			===In Kumaon===
	1) Aloo ke gutke - potato wedges shallow fried with whole coriander seed and other spices in mustard oil.
			As per 2011 Indian census, there were 1,981,062 (95.19%) Kumaoni speakers in the ].<ref name="Census"/>
	2) Jholi/Baant - Radish slices in a gravy made from curd and chickpea flour (also called Chains)
	3) Papad ki subzi - Colocacia leaves cooked with chickpea flour and spices.

			===Kumaoni diaspora===
	Pulses like Gahat (Kulthi, Horse Gram) are cooked singly or with colocacia and potatoes. Black soybean (Bhatt) is made into a very popular gravy called chudkani (served with steamed rice as ras-bhaat. Rice is a staple of the area and wheat is consumed only in small quantities. Cereals like mandua with rice and wheat are popular.
			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.

	==~~Well-known~~ Kumaoni ~~personalities~~==		====Kumaoni speakers in other Indian states====
			''Source:''<ref name="Census">{{cite web\|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html\|title=C-16 Population By Mother Tongue \|website=censusindia.gov.in \|access-date=5 April 2022}}</ref>
	.Lt Gen Dr Mohan Bhandari,PVSM,AVSM & Bar,D Litt,FIMA.Ex Chairman UKD Public Service Commission.Chairman COGENCE Advisers,SAPPHIRE Techno Services & Himalayan Village School.
			{\|class="wikitable sortable"
			\|-
			! State \|\| Kumaoni speakers(2011) \|\| Percentage of Kumaoni Population
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 32674 \|\| 1.57%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 30224 \|\| 1.4%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 11059 \|\| 0.53%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 4427 \|\| 0.21%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 3582 \|\| 0.17%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 3223 \|\| 0.15%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 2560 \|\| 0.09%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 2096 \|\| 0.1%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 1746 \|\| 0.08%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 1284 \|\| 0.061%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 1133 \|\| 0.054%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 1127 \|\| 0.0541%
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| 1076 \|\| 0.0517%
			\|}

			====International diaspora====
			There is a large Kumaoni diaspora in neighbouring ], 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.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Upadhyay \|first1=Vineet \|title=NRI pahadi brides eye Kumaoni 'Pichora' \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/NRI-pahadi-brides-eye-Kumaoni-Pichora/articleshow/50163441.cms \|access-date=5 April 2022 \|work=The Times of India \|date=13 December 2015 \|language=en}}</ref>

			==Notable people==
			{{Main\|List of Kumaonis}}

	==See also==		==See also==
	{{colbegin}}		{{colbegin}}
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		*]
	* ]		*]
			*] {{Div col end}}
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	{{colend}}

	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist\|35em}}		{{Reflist\|35em}}

	{{coord missing\|Uttarakhand}}
	{{Kumaon}}		{{Kumaon}}
			{{Ethnic groups in Nepal}}
			{{Uttarakhand}}
			{{Authority control}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumauni People}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumauni People}}
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
			]

Latest revision as of 12:19, 6 December 2024

Ethnolinguistic group of India and Nepal

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Ethnic group

Kumaonis
कुमाऊंनी, कुमयी
Regions with significant populations
India (Kumaon)	2.2 million* (2011 census)
Languages
Kumaoni
Religion
Majority Hinduism Minority Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
other Indo-Aryans, Khas people, Garhwali people
*The population figures are only of the number of speakers of the Kumaoni language. May not include ethnic Kumaonis who no longer speak the Kumaoni language, but other languages.

Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain (in Nepal), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who speak Kumaoni as their first-language and live mostly in Kumaon division in the state of Uttarakhand in India.

Kumaoni is also used as a term for people who have their origin in Kumaon. The word Kumain is a direct derivative of Kumaoni.

A group of Kumaoni women near Pithoragarh

History

Worshipping Vishnu and Shiva is predominant in this region. According to Skanda Purana. Kumaon is believed to be the birth place of Kurma avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.

Kurmanchal Kingdom

The Kurmanchal kingdom was a medieval kingdom of Kumaon. it was established by Vasudeo Katyuri. Its capital was Baijnath. It was one of the oldest Himalayan kingdoms, unified most of the Himalayas, and extended from Sikkim in the east to Kabul in the west at its peak. After the fall of the kingdom, it was divided into eight princely states. The next ruling clan of Kumaon were the Manrals. The dynasty at its peak controlled the Tons to the Karnail river. Kumaon was one of the few countries of South Asia 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 District, rose in rebellion against the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Under the leadership of Kalu Singh Mahara, many Kumaonis also joined the Indian National Army led by Subash Chandra Bose during the Second World War.

In other countries

In Nepal there are castes of Brahmins who migrated from Kumaon to Nepal during the medieval period. They are now characterized as 'Kumain Bahun' or 'Kumai Bahuns'.

Language

Main article: Kumaoni language

UNESCO designated Kumaoni as language in the endangered and unsafe category which requires consistent conservation efforts.

Culture

Traditional attire

Various attires are worn in Kumaon.

Pichhaura is a 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 and accessories made of pearl. It is now made using machines.

Kumaoni men wear the black Kumaoni cap. White Kumaoni caps are worn during festivals, especially, during Kumaoni Holi.

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 is observed. Each Sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumaon. Fooldeyi, Bikhauti, Harela, 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, Shiv Ratri, Saton–Athon, Kumauni Holi, Uttarayani, Samvatsar Parwa, Ram Navami, Dashra, Batsavitri, Rakshabandhan, Janmastmi, Nandastmi, and Deepawali are some of the auspicious occasions.

Dashain or Vijaydashmi

Main article: Dashain

Dasshera festival starts in Kumaon with the performance of Ramlila, which is itself unique as it is based on the musical rendering of the katha or story of Rama based on the theatrical traditions set by Uday Shankar while on his stay in Almora. These traditions were further enriched by Mohan Upreti and Brijendra Lal Sah. Known as the Almora or Kumaon style, Ramlila has been recognised by UNESCO as one of the representative styles of Ramlila in India. The 150-year-old Kumaoni Ramlila was declared as the longest running opera in the world by UNESCO.

Folk dances

Chholiya 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 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

Main article: Kumaoni cuisine

Kumaoni food is simple and comprises largely of vegetables and pulses. Vegetables like potato (aaloo), radish (mooli), colocacia leaves (arbi ke patte, papad), pumpkin (kaddoo), spinach (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.

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:

State	Kumaoni speakers(2011)	Percentage of Kumaoni Population
Delhi	32674	1.57%
Garhwal	30224	1.4%
Uttar Pradesh	11059	0.53%
Haryana	4427	0.21%
Maharashtra	3582	0.17%
Rajasthan	3223	0.15%
Punjab	2560	0.09%
Jammu and Kashmir	2096	0.1%
Himachal Pradesh	1746	0.08%
Gujarat	1284	0.061%
Madhya Pradesh	1133	0.054%
Manipur	1127	0.0541%
Chandigarh	1076	0.0517%

International diaspora

There is a large Kumaoni diaspora in neighbouring Nepal, 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

Main article: List of Kumaonis

References

Simons, Gary F; Fennig, Charles D, eds. (2018). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (21st ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
Trans-Himalayan", Trans-Himalayan Linguistics 266 (2014): 11-40.
^ Gellner, David N.; Hausner, Sondra L.; Letizia, Chiara (2016). Religion, secularism, and ethnicity in contemporary Nepal. ISBN 978-0-19-946772-3. OCLC 959843644.
Subba, Tanka Bahadur (1989). Dynamics of a hill society: in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas. Mittal Publications. ISBN 9788173041143.
Sternbach, Ludwik; Gupta, Anand Swarup; Bhattacharya, Ahibhushan; Mukherji, Satkari; Varma, Virendra Kurma; Rai, Ganga Sagar; Gupta, Anand Swarup (April 1974). "The Kūrma Purāṇa". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 94 (2): 250. doi:10.2307/600927. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 600927.
Pande, Badri Datt (1993). History of Kumaun (English version of "Kumaun ka itihas"). Shyam Prakashan. ISBN 81-900209-4-3. OCLC 833063116.
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Dehradun Edition Archived 22 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved on 27 September 2011.
"UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
Upadhyay, Vineet (13 December 2015). "NRI pahadi brides eye Kumaoni 'Pichora'". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
Jha, Prashant (15 January 2020). "Uttarayani Mela starts in Bageshwar". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Uttaranchal Fairs and Festivals of Uttarakhand – Kumbh mela, Uttarayani, Nandadevi Raj Jat Yatra Archived 11 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Euttaranchal.com. Retrieved on 27 September 2011.
Ramlila – the Traditional Performance of the Ramayana UNESCO.
"Do you know that Kumaon's Ram Leela is the oldest in the world?". Times of India Travel. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
"उत्तराखंड में छोलिया है सबसे पुराना लोकनृत्य, जानिए इसकी खास बातें". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). 29 October 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
Indian Traditions Theatre at iloveindia.
Shortwave Language lists Archived 3 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine KUM Kumaoni/Kumauni.
^ "C-16 Population By Mother Tongue". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
Upadhyay, Vineet (13 December 2015). "NRI pahadi brides eye Kumaoni 'Pichora'". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 April 2022.

v t e Kumaon
Division headquarters: Nainital
Main articles	B. C. T. Kumaon Engineering College HMIS Kumaon Kumaon Express Kumaon Institute of Information Technology Kumaon Kingdom Kumaon Railway Kumaon Regiment Kumaon snowtrout Kumaon University Kumaoni cuisine Kumaoni Holi Kumaoni language Kumaoni people Kumaoni Rajput Lakes of Kumaon Man-Eaters of Kumaon (movie)
Districts	Almora Bageshwar Champawat Nainital Pithoragarh Udham Singh Nagar
Major cities	Haldwani Rudrapur Kashipur Ramnagar Pithoragarh Nainital Almora Ranikhet Bageshwar Champawat

Ethnic groups in Nepal by language family

Sino-Tibetan
(Trans-Himalayan)

Tibetic	Darchula Bhotiya Bhotiya Sherpa Hyolmo Jirel Nepalese Central Tibetic Central Tibetans Kachee
Kiranti	Western Rai Bahing Sunuwar Koich Central Rai Khambu Rai Kulung Bantawa Eastern Rai Lohorung Yakkha Limbu (Yakthung)
Tamangic	Chhantyal Gurung Tamu Manange Ghale Tamang Lama clan (Tamang) Thakali Kaike Magar

Newaric
- Newar
- Newar Muslim
- Thangmi Kham
- Baram
Magar
- Dhut
- Kham/Pang
Chepang
Bhujel
Raji–Raute
- Raji
- Raute
- Rawat
Dura
Lepcha (Rong)
Dhimal

Indo-Aryan

Pahari	Khas Jumli-speakers Palpali-speakers Gorkhali-speakers (standard Nepali dialect) Kumaunis Kashmiris
Madheshi	Maithil Maithil Brahmin Yadav Kayastha Dhanuk Eastern Majhi Bajji Malla Anga
Newars	Over 25 distinct castes, major being Shresthas, Chathariya, Jyapu, Vajracharya, Rajopadhyaya Brahmins, Chitrakar, Khadgi, Manandhar, Dhobi, Pode, Ranjitkar, Mali, etc. Newar Muslim
Indian Madheshi	Indian Maithil Bihari Bhojpuri Bajjika etc. Awadhi other Madheshi H U

Indo-Aryan
of a distinct origin

Danuar Rai

Hill Khadiya/Bankariya

Rajbanshi

Kisan of Oraon Sadri

Kushbadiya (Guhari)

Other peoples (M, D, i)
of Indus-Ganga

Immigrants and expatriates

v t e Immigration to Nepal
Filipinos Indians Japanese Jews / Israelis Koreans Pakistanis Russians

Other basis

By geography	Mountain people (Buddhist/Animism) Hill people (Eastern Paharis and Newars, Buddhist Kirati (East, mostly Mundhum) Terai (Madheshi, Tharu, Danuwar and Dhimal) (Lowland) Western Nepal (Hindu dominant) Nepali Muslim (South)
By law	Janajati Madheshi Janajati
Misc	Adivasi Simantakrit
By caste	Kshetri Bahun Thakuri Rajopadhyaya Shresthas Jyapu Vajracharya Pulami Kami Damai/Dholi Rajdhoves Sarki Unspecified Dalit Kalwar Dhobi Mali Gaine/Gandarbha

Nepal portal

State of Uttarakhand

State capitals: legislative: Dehradun (winter); Bhararisain (summer); judicial: Nainital

Government

Symbols	Day Emblem Song Motto
Executive	Governor Chief Minister Council of Ministers Cabinets Chief Secretary Gazette Agencies Departments Disaster Response Force Fire and Emergency Services Provincial Armed Constabulary Forest Department Police Department Public Service Commission Provincial Civil Service Provincial Police Service Provincial Forest Service
Legislature	Legislative Assembly History Speaker Leader of the Opposition
Judiciary	High Court Chief Justice Judges Bar Council Lok Adalat Lokayukta

History

Ancient
kingdoms

Medieval
kingdoms

Colonial
Uttarakhand

Company rule	Ceded and Conquered Provinces North-Western Provinces Agra Presidency
Crown rule	United Provinces of Agra and Oudh United Provinces of Agra and Oudh United Provinces

Contemporary
Uttarakhand

Geography
and
ecology

Geological
features

Mountains	Great Himalayas Garhwal Himalayas Sivalik Hills Mountain peaks Bugyals Lakes
Plains	Bhabar Terai Doab Ganges Basin

Ecoregions

Highlands	Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests Himalayan subtropical pine forests
Lowlands	Western Himalayan broadleaf forests Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests

Demographics

Ethnic
groups

Indo-Aryans	Garhwalis Kumaonis Jaunsaris Buksas Tharus
Tibeto-Burmans	Bhotiyas Shaukas Rajis Jads Banrawats
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes	Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes

Languages

Official

Spoken

Indo-Aryan	Garhwali Kumaoni Jaunsari Bangani Buksa Tharu
Tibeto-Burman	Rongpo Byangsi Chaudangsi Darmiya Raji Rawat Jad

Administrative
divisions

Urban	Districts Tehsils Urban Local Bodies Municipal Corporations
Rural	Parganas Community Development Blocks

Politics

Tourism

Monuments	World Heritage Site Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks Ramsar Wetland Asan Barrage Monuments of National Importance State Protected Monuments Temples Tourist attractions in Dehradun
Chardham circuit	Gangotri Yamunotri Yamunotri Temple Badrinath Badrinath Temple Kedarnath Kedarnath Temple Sapta Badri Panch Kedar Panch Prayag Gomukh
National parks	Gangotri Govind Pashu Vihar Jim Corbett Nanda Devi Rajaji Valley of Flowers

Sports

Latest revision as of 12:19, 6 December 2024

History

Kurmanchal Kingdom

British Raj

In other countries

Language

Culture

Traditional attire

Festivals

Dashain or Vijaydashmi

Folk dances

Theatre

Radio

Cuisine

Population

In Kumaon

Kumaoni diaspora

Kumaoni speakers in other Indian states

International diaspora

Notable people

See also

References