10 Interesting Facts About Hindi I Hindi Diwas I 10 Tips

Hindi, written in Devanagari script, was adopted as the official language of India on 14^th September, 1949 under Article 343. As a result, Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on 14^th September. More than 250 million people speak Hindi around the world. That’s a big number! In this article, we have 10 interesting facts about Hindi and Hindi Diwas for you. Every Indian will get a sense of pride knowing them. Did you know number 6?

Third Most Spoken Language In The World

Hindi is the first language of about 260 million people. It is the 4^th most spoken ‘first language’ in the world, after Mandarin, Spanish, and English. It is also the 3^rd most spoken language overall, with a total number of 615.4 million speakers, following English and Mandarin. Moreover, it is the mother tongue of about 18 crore people.

Is The Word “Hindi”, Hindi?

You would be shocked to know that the word “Hindi” actually has a Persian origin. It originated from the word “Sindhu” as Iranis pronounced “Sa” as “Ha“. The Turkish invaders who settled around the river Sindh in the 11th century named the language “Hindi”. Hindi, as we know it today, is one of the modern Indo-Aryan languages which includes Bengali as well.

Why 14th September?

Many activists, artists, writers, and poets such as Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Kaka Kalelkar, Seth Govind Das, and Beohar Rajendra Simha worked hard to make Hindi the official language of the nation. On 14th September, finally, their efforts came to fruition. Consequently, on 14th September 1949, which was the 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha, was marked as Hindi Diwas. The decision though was made official on 26th January 1950.

Official Language Week (Hindi Language Week)

Many programs are organized to celebrate the language such as writing, debate, kavi sammelan. Awards like Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar and Kirti Puraskar are awarded by the Government to those who use Hindi language in their respective fields. These programs are organized 14th September onwards and observed for a week. The week is hence termed as Hindi Language Week.

Used by Bands like Coldplay

There’s an evident “Hindi” influence on the band’s new look. Ever since the official video of “Hymn for The Weekend”, it’s quite clear the inclination of the band towards India. At the Super Bowl, the band had its name written in Hindi language on their instruments. The stage was also decorated with marigolds.

Official Language of Fiji

More than half the population of Fiji island speaks Hindi. In 1997, Hindi was referred to as “Hindustani” in Fiji constitution. But recently, in 2013, it was changed to just “Hindi”. Also called Fijan Baat or Fijan Hindustani, it is the language spoken by Fiji citizens of Indian descent.

Power Language

World Power Language Index, published by the World Economic Forum considers Hindi as one of the ten most powerful languages in the world. According to the World Power Language Index, by 2050, Hindi will be one of the most powerful languages in the world.

Digital Growth Of Hindi

According to a report, among 32 applications on a smartphone of an Indian, 8-9 apps are in the Hindi language. Indian youth watch 93% of YouTube videos in Hindi. The demand for Hindi content in digital media has grown by 94%. In contrast to this, the demand for content in English has not seen huge growth.

Used All Over The World

From Nepal to the United States of Nation, Hindi is used all over the world. It is a recognized language in the United Arab Emirates. Hindi speaking countries include Nepal, United States, Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, Uganda, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Singapore among others.

But Why “Hindi Diwas”?

But why is Hindi Diwas celebrated after all? Even though Hindi is recognized over the world, Hindi is not appreciated in our own country. Some Indians feel ashamed speaking in Hindi. However, corporate companies are slowly incorporating Hindi more. Children understand the importance of Hindi by participating in contests like recitation, essay writing, etcetera in Hindi. It is important for Indians to recognize our language. “Hindi Diwas” spreads awareness about it. People are encouraged to use Hindi on social media – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The youth need to understand that it is our own language that will take us ahead. Bharatendu Harishchandra wrote the famous poem “Nij Bhasha” wherein he discusses the importance of our language:

“निज भाषा उन्नति अहै, सब उन्नति को मूल।
बिन निज भाषा-ज्ञान के, मिटत न हिय को सूल।।”

(Nij bhaasha unnati ahai, sab unnati ko mool,
Bin nij bhaasha-gyaan ke, mitat na hiy ko sool.)

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