Influence of Hindi in Nepal

- Dr. Surya Nath Gope
Professor of Head, Central Department of Hindi, TU, Kirtipur, Kathmandu

Hindi as the National Language of India: After independence the first constitution of India recognized Hindi (written in Devnagari Script) as the official Language of the country. But this language has been serving the country for at least for the last one thousand and five hundreds years and today is a lingua franca all over India. It is the first language of more than half of the country. During Mughal period it spread to Hyderabad in south, which was identified by the name of ‘Dakkhini Hindi’, and in north-eastern region from Bengal to the former Greater Assam as ‘Brajbuli’. At present it is used by people all over India from the extreme north in Kashmir to the extreme south in Kanyakumari and also in the north-eastern states to the northern states like Punjab. The vast region states of northern and mid-region states, where Hindi is used as the first language, have a leading role to promote this language and have played leading role in making it rich in literature and linguistically.

Now Hindi is developing its international form also. Most of the developed countries in the world have some Hindi speakers. Some developing countries like Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam, Guyana and Fiji have sizeable Hindi speakers.

Influence of Hindi: After India, the second largest Hindi speaking country is Nepal. It is also the second largest country in the world, which uses Sanskrit. Nepal has a long tradition of her own literary compositions in these two languages; especially clear trends in literature and language developed of Hindi. At least for the last one thousand years, Hindi has influenced thoughts of Nepalese people and is used here widely in every part of the country. It is the first language of the people of Terai (plains) region and also a lingua franca all over the country. It has a great role in the day-to-day life of Nepalese people as well as in the Nepali language and literature. The reason is that the Nepali language and most of the other languages in Nepal share the same Devnagari script, which is the script of Sanskrit and Hindi too. The vocabulary of Hindi language has lots of Sanskrit words known as ‘Tatsam Shabda’. Even ‘Tadbhava Shabda0(s)’ are originally derived from Sanskrit vocabulary. Still Hindi has a closer affinity with Sanskrit and it is maintaining its position as the real descendant of Sanskrit. Hindi speaking people in India and Nepal admire Sanskrit as their ancestral language. Even today, original Sanskrit ‘Vedic’ and ‘Upanishadic’ mantras are frequently used during rituals and worship in Hindu families of India and Nepal. This relation between Sanskrit and Hindi made Hindi easily understood in Nepali speaking hilly region of Nepal. The southern part, i.e., Terai or plains region of Nepal, which is also known as the economic backbone of the country, has Hindi as the first language of its people. Though Terain people have less or insignificant role in national, political mainstream, or bureaucracy, till present, economically and linguistically the region has played a great role open the vast hilly region, i.e., the northern land area which is 83% of the total land area of the country. The rest 17% of the total area, i.e., the southern part of Terai region, has very dense population, about 51% of the total national population. But the Terai region feeds the hilly regions and its own Terai people as well. Only due to the fertile land and the hardworking farmers of the Terai region, this becomes possible. This dependency of hilly people upon Terain people made them develop economic, linguistic and cultural relations with Hindi speaking Terai belt. Thus Nepali speaking hill people learned Hindi as their second language.

For last thousands of years Nepal has a living contact with India. The relation between two countries is unique in all sense and has very broad aspects. The aspects are religious, cultural, social and linguistic. Every year thousands and thousands of Nepalese pilgrims travel to India’s religious places like Varanasi (Kashi) Prayag Triveni, Haridwar, Mathura, Vrindavan, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Amarnath, Dwarika, Gaya, Triupati- Balaji, Kanyakumari and Kamakhya. Similarly as millions of Indian pilgrims come to Nepal every year to worship Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Janaki (Sita’s) temple at Janakpur, Barahkshetra in Kishi zone, Muktinath in western hill region and Devghat in the southern foot hills. This interaction between the people of the two countries has made it easy to learn Hindi even in the Nepali speaking hill region of Nepal. This interaction also strengthened the language development of the Hindi speaking Terai region of Nepal.

Before establishment of the Tribhuvan University (1952) in Nepal all the schools and one college (Trichandra College in Kathmandu) were under Bihar School Examination Board and Patna University. Till 1961 the medium of teaching in schools and colleges of Terai region was Hindi with compulsory English papers and optional Nepali subjects. Most of the teachers in these institutions were from adjoining northern sates Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal of India. So they contributed to develop the education system and teaching of Hindi language and literature. I have benefited from the same learning experience as a school and university student and I express gratitude mush from this country they served here, spent their whole life on a nominal or low salary at the time. They really worked here as volunteers.

Hindi films, songs and theaters from India are very popular in Nepal. Gopal Singh Nepali, the eminent Hindi poet and lyric composer of 1950s-60s period of Hindi Cinema, went to Bombay, inspired by the popularity of Hindi cinema and its melodious songs of the time. Popularity of Hindi cinema in Nepal is still increasing. Manish Koirala, the famous actress of Hindi movies, is from Nepal. She is the grand daughter of prominent Nepali Congress leader and ex-Prime Minister late B.P. Koirala. She went to Bombay inspired by the popularity of Hindi cinema in Nepal. Udit Narayan, one of the top singers of Hindi cinema, is also from Nepal. He started singing Nepali songs on Radio Nepal but later on he was attracted by the popularity of Hindi movies in Nepal and went to Bombay. Now he is a play back singer of Hindi cinema.

Nepal’s culture tie with Hindi speaking states of India: Geographically Nepal is very close to the Hindi speaking states of India. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh the two major Hindi speaking states of northern India, shares international border with Nepal. Almost all southern and western part of Nepal is touching this border. From the very beginning Nepal is in closer and permanent cultural contact with these two states of India and is influenced by the cultural, linguistic and religious activities of these states. This geographical condition of nearness with the Hindi speaking states has played a great role and prepared a base for the cultural and linguistic unity with Nepal.

When we talk about culture, we should not forget that the linguistic situation is not any barrier towards the promotion of cultural relations between each other. India and Nepal share the same culture and Hindi has played prominent role in making this unity.

Role of religious places in cultural relation: Being a Hindu Nation Nepal has a permanent relation, especially with the important religious places of the northern states of India. Religion has played a great role in the cultural relations between Nepal and India.

Nepal has been highlighted for last several centuries in Indian Sanskrit literature like ‘Skand Purana’. ‘Skand Purana’ has a separate volume known as ‘Nepal Mahatmyaya’, which explains in more details about Nepal. According to the ‘Skand Purana’ we can say that India and Nepal has very close cultural and religious relations even during ancient times. By this it can be proved that in ancient time Sanskrit was the medium of teaching and learning and it was known as the source of knowledge in both countries Nepal and India.

Like its mother language Sanskrit, in modern time Hindi is promoting the cultural and religious relations between India and Nepal.

Role of Hindi in closer cultural relation between India and Nepal: From the vedic period religion has been the most powerful contact between India and Nepal. The two Countries are politically two different nations, but why are they closer to each other?

The answer to this question has in the active role of Hindi for at least last one thousand years. Nepalese, especially Terain, customs and manners, dresses and food habits are very similar to the people of Hindi speaking states of India. Rituals and festivals like ‘Hole’ in India known as ‘Fagu Purnime’ in Nepal, Dashahara in India known as ‘Dashain’ or ‘Badaa Dashain’ in Nepal and Deepawali of India known as the ‘Tihar’ ( the combined three days festival Deepawali, Laxmi Pooja and Bhai Teeka) in Nepal are as in India. ‘Bada Dashain’ and ‘Tihar’ are worshiped as the major national festivals of Nepal.

In the Hindi speaking states of India especially on the occasion of marriages and ‘Upnayan’ (Vratbandha), ‘Mangal Gayan’ is most popular. But this ‘Mangal Gayan’ is known by the name of ‘Mahaal’ in the hill region of Nepal, which is very much influenced by Hindi. Mangal Geet is sung in the same tone as in the Hindi speaking states of India. The most remarkable point is that ‘Mangal Geet’ of India and ‘Mahaal’ of Nepal are sung only by women. During marriage ceremony (Biha), ‘Nwaran’ (Mundan) and ‘Upanyan’ (Vratbandha) till it is necessary and in case to lady singer for ‘Mahaal’ is available then some other lady is called from out to sing.

In the development of Hindi culture Hindi has been playing a great role for last one thousand years. Hindi has been strengthening this culture from the grass roots. It has restored this culture and encouraged the development of Nepali language and literature.

This role of Hindi language has strengthened the cultural, linguistic, religious and social relations between India and Nepal. By nature these two countries are born to share the same culture, same religion, same water, same monsoon and same air, but time-to-time some misunderstandings also occur. During such periods Hindi has played and important role to remove the confusions between two nations.

Influence on Nepali language and literature: Nepal bears a closer affinity with Hindi than any other language of Nepal. Out of every ten words of Nepali, eight words are from Hindi. In Nepali literature, the same trends are followed as in Hindi literature. ‘Aadi Kal’ or ‘Veer Gatha Kal’ of Hindi literature occurs in Nepali literature by the name of ‘Veer Kalin Kavita’.

In the same way Hindi ‘Bhakti Kal’ in Nepali literature appears after ‘Veerkalin Kavita’ by the name of ‘Bhaktikalin kavita’. This trends of ‘Bhaktikalin Kavita’ in Nepali literature has a very remarkable character which links it more closely with Hindi ‘Bhakti Kal’ and influenced of the eminent poets of the period of Hindi literature. As for example Tulsidas, Surdas, Kavirdas, Raidas and Sahajobai. Hindi devotional literary period has three prominent diversities known as ‘Rambhakti Shakha’, ‘Krishna Bhakti Shakha’ and ‘Sant Kavya’ or ‘Gyanashreyee Shakha’. After a period of time the same trend occurs in Nepali literature. ‘Josmani Sant Parampara’ of Nepali literature was influenced Hindi Sant Parampara or Gyanshrayee Shakha which appears in Nepali after hundreds of years of its origin in Hindi. Josmani poets of Nepali literature were very much influenced by the ‘Sant poets’ of Hindi devotional period like Kaveerdas, Dariya Sahab, Raidas and Sahajobai. The influence of these great Hindi poets can be seen easily on the eminent Josmani poets like Gyandil Das, Agamdil Das. Abhaydil Das and over the ‘Josmani Sant Parampara’ of Nepali literature.

Bhanubhakta Acharya the ‘Aadi Kavi’ (first-poet) of Nepali literature composed his Ramayana in Nepali verse inspired by the great Hindi poet Goswami Tulsidas and his famous epic ‘Ramcharitmanas’ (the Ramayan). Latest research in Nepali indicates that Bhanubhakta Acharya had good knowledge of Hindi and he has composed some senses in Hindi which are available.
The eminent Nepali story and novel writer of modern age Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (the first elected prime minister of Nepal ) started to write Hindi stories in ‘Hans’ of Munsi Premchand and later on fully turned to Nepali writing.

Conclusion: Like Sanskrit her daughter Hindi is trying to uplift the life style of Nepalese people with its vast literature, which is rich in human values. It is also helping connect the Nepalese mind, especially young the generation to modern Science, Technology, Social Science, Humanities and Business management education by its cheap edition Hindi books published in India. Most of the bright Nepalese students take benefit of these Hindi edition books. They prefer to read Hindi edition text books of Indian Universities curriculum.
We can conclude that Hindi is a cultural Ambassador between India and Nepali. Hindi is serving the interest of both countries, without expecting any reward from them.

Source: - Vividh Bharat

 

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