Languages of India is an identifiable mark of the whole of Indian culture and tradition. India is a multi linguistic country where myriads of people of varied castes, creed, origin reside and also practice multiple religious norms and rituals. India gives respect to all the languages and dialects spoken by the huge population of India.
The languages of India primarily belong to two major lingual families, Indo-European and Dravidian. A branch of Indo- European family, Indo- Aryan language is spoken by about 74% of the population, while Dravidian language is spoken by 24%. Other widely - spoken languages in India are mainly derived from the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. About four hundred and fifteen languages are used as mother tongues of the Indian populace. India does not have one single official language and instead, each state has its individual official language, in addition to the official languages to be employed by the Union Government.
The Constitution of India recognises 22 languages, spoken in different parts the country, namely Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
Hindi is one of the most important languages of India. It has acquired the status of being the official language of the states, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana . In the capital city of New Delhi, Hindi too is used for the official purposes.
Bengali is the official language of the state of West Bengal. It is also widely spoken by the people residing in various states of India, namely, Tripura, Cachar District of southern Assam. The inhabitants of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands speak Bengali. Moreover, it is a treasure house of dialects, adapted by various people of different regions of West Bengal.
Telugu is mainly spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh has got Telugu as its official language. Besides, other states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, also speak Telugu. Various Telugu dialects are prevalent. It is also widely spoken in Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Madurai and Thanjavur districts. These are Dommara, Berad, Dasari, Golari, Kamathi, Komtao, Konda-Reddi, Salewari, Telangana, Telugu, Vadaga, Srikakula, Vishakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Rayalseema, Nellore. It is a the most enriched and standard language. Like other languages of India, namelyBengali, Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi, Normal Telugu usually falls into the category of pure language or `Shuddha Bhaasha`.
Marathi functions as an official language of the state of Maharashtra. The Constitution of India discerns Marathi as one of India`s twenty-two official languages. Ahirani, Varhadi, Konkani, Wadvali, Samavedi are the famous Marathi dialects. Khandeshi is spoken in East Khandesh specifically in Yawal and Raver Talukas. Khandeshi is also known as Tawadi; it is specially spoken by a section of people in the eastern region of Khandesh. It is interesting to note that other Indian languages too is ennobled due to the considerable influence of Marathi language. Marathi considerably influences Dakhini and Hyderabadi Urdu spoken in Hyderabad and considerable section of people in the Deccan region. The Marathi language modifies the grammar of Hyderabadi Urdu.
Among various languages of India, Tamil has been bestowed upon the prestige of being the official language of Tamil Nadu. In the union territories of Pondicherry also, Tamil is one of the official languages.
Urdu is one of the rich languages of India, popularized mainly among the Muslim populace of Indian subcontinent. Urdu is also one of the formally accepted state languages in India. It has gained access and popularity in the various states of India , namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh, and the national capital, Delhi.
The languages of India are numerous and exuberant. Not only they have gained popularity among Indian populace, these are revered worldwide for its dynamism and adaptability. The following are the some of the languages spoken in India
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