Page 64 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

Besides, the superstitious practices of witches, magic-spell, ghosts and animal-
sacrifice are also found remnants of the medieval period.

In spite of strength and weaknesses, the Bhojpuri society has also given births to
renowned personalities, e. g., First Indian President Rajendra Prasad, a world famous
philosopher and writer Rahul Sankirtayan, Shakespeare of Bhojpuri playwright

Bhikhari Thakur and great poet of Nepalese Bhojpuri Gopal Ashk and so on.

3.1.2 Religion
Dominantly, Bhojpuri speech community follows Hinduism and Islam.
However, at present, a few of them are following religions other than the two, e. g.,

Christianity, Buddhism, Samanism and so on.
3.1.3 Literacy

Generally literacy in Bhojpuri speech community is still poor. Ehnologue,
2012 has data of literacy rate of the Bhojpuri speech community in the first language
to be 5%–30% and that in the second language to be 50%–75% respectively.

Especially women are deprived of formal education.
3.1.4 Marriage system

As the Bhojpuri speech community is heterogeneous in terms of religion, so is
observed the marriage system. There is tradition of early marriage among both the

Hindus and Muslims, but it is rapidly receding recently. In both the religious
communities of the Bhojpuri native speakers, there is arranged marriage system still

continuing in practice. Priests are required in both the communities. Moreover, the
marriage is arranged by the parents of both the bride and the bridegroom. Previously
they were not allowed to see each other before marriage, but such practice is now

being discouraged. Besides, the practice of the second wedding ceremony, locally

known as ि"रागमन /dwirɑɡʌmʌn/ or गौना /ɡɔnɑ/ or दोङा /doŋɑ/ among Hindus, is also
being wiped out. These days, the practice of love marriage and court marriage is also
gathering momentum in slow motion.

3.1.5 Occupation
Primarily Bhojpuri community is entirely involved in agriculture. Most of

them are farmers and cattle herders. So, they have their own agro-economy following
self-reliant living system by tradition. Consequently, they are either farmers or petty-

farmers or peasants or shepherds. Besides, they are also engaged in business,
household works, government and public services and so on these days.

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