Gaddi (also called Gaddki, Gaddiyali or Bharmauri; Takri: ๐๐๐ฏ, ๐๐๐๐ฏ, ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฏ, ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ) is an Indo-Aryan language of India. It is spoken by the Gaddi people primarily residing in the Bharmour region of Chamba district and the upper reaches of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. It is also spoken in neighbouring parts of Jammu, with Gaddi villages found in Udhampur, Kathua and Doda districts.[2]
The language has traditionally been written using the Takri script.[3]
There are four dialects of the language:[4]
The language is commonly called Pahari or Himachali. Some speakers may even call it a dialect of Dogri. The language has no official status. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the language is definitely endangered category, i.e. many Gaddi chilanother adjoining areag Gaddi as their mother tongue any longer.[5]
The demand for the inclusion of 'Pahari (Himachali)' under the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, which is supposed to represent multiple Pahari languages of Himachal Pradesh, had been made in the year 2010 by the state's Vidhan Sabha.[6] There has been no positive progress on this matter since then even when small organisations are striving to save the language.[7]
