What is santhali?

Santali, also known as Santhali or Saontali, is an Austroasiatic language spoken primarily by the Santal people, who are an ethnic group mostly found in the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, as well as in Bangladesh and Nepal.

Santali is currently one of the 21 scheduled languages of India and is written in the Ol Chiki script, which was invented in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu. The language has around 6.4 million speakers according to the 2011 Indian census.

Santali is known for its rich oral literature, including thousands of folk songs and dances, as well as traditional stories and myths. The Santal people are also skilled in traditional crafts like pottery, weaving, and woodworking, and their art and music are often influenced by their connection to nature and their animistic beliefs.

In recent years, Santali has gained more recognition as a language of education and literature, with efforts underway to develop standardized written materials and increase the number of schools offering Santali as a medium of instruction.