Languages Data
M. Phil./ Ph.D.
- Anthropological study of reproductive and sexual health of females Mal Paharia tribe of Jharkhand
Research Paper
- Mal Paharia tribe and the problem of their identity in West Bengal, India
Project
Book
- The Malpaharias of West Bengal
- Linguistic Studies in Juang, Kharia Thar, Lodha, Mal-Pahariya, Ghatoali, Pahariya
- Linguistic Studies in Juang, Kharia, Thar, Lodha, Mal-Pahariya and Ghatoali-Pahariya
- Mai Paharia Culture at the Crossroads
- People’s Linguistic Survey of India: The Languages of West Bengal
- People’s Linguistic Survey of India : The Languages of Jharkhand
- People’s Linguistic Survey of India: The Languages of Bihar
- Ethnologue: Languages of the World
- A Bibliographic Index of the Lesser Known Languages and Dialects of India and Nepal
- Tribal culture and economy : the Mal Paharias of Santal Parganas
- Bibliography of Marginal Indian Languages
- Mal Paharia culture at the crossroad
- Indias Communities
- भारतीय भाषा लोक सर्वेक्षण : बिहार की भाषाएँ
- माल पहाड़िया
Book Chapter
Dictionary
Occasional Paper/Brochure
Journal/Seminar Proceedings/Souvenir
- Economic and Political Weekly
Web Resource
- India
Mal Paharia is an endangered linguistic community in India which belongs from Austro-Asiatic language family. The language is also known as Malto language. Mal Paharis can be found in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar in India. Mal Paharia is a vulnerable language.
Survey Area:- The present study is based on the Mal Paharia community live in Goalpar village in Maldah district.
Ethnic Culture, Religion, Rituals and Festivals:- Mal Paharis in Goalpar village belong from kasab clan. Their society is patriarchal, where husband or the senior male person is the head of the family.
Mal Paharia community people have almost lost their ethnic culture, festivals and rituals. They have adapted the dominant Bengali group’s culture and observe durgapuja, kalipuja, diwali following the neighbourhood Bengali families. The rituals of their marriage and other ceremonies reflect the adaptation of Bengali culture. However they follow some rituals specific to their community. After the death of any community people they burn the body. They take a thread from the deceased body and bring that thread at home. They do the worship of that thread, which is known as marupa pujo. They do consider it as showing respect to the passed soul.
Literacy:- Mal Paharia community people are extremely poor in this village, but they are conscious about the need of education of their children. Thus, they send their children to local schools.
Occupation:- Mal Paharis are survived on agriculture and forest produce.
Concluding Remark:- They have a positive attitude towards their language. The older generation wants to save their language. However the young generation feels that their language does not have any prestige or any use and feel that their ethnic linguistic identity is keeping them in isolation in the villages of West Bengal and they are deprived in the society because of their linguistic identity. Thus, young generation people are shifted towards the dominant language of the area.