In 14 September 1949, Hindi was given the status of the official language of India, so Hindi Day is celebrated on this day.
Hindi diwas 2025: Hindi is not just a language, but it is also the soul and cultural beating of India. Its origin, development and present form is the result of a long historical journey. Hindi Day (14 September) not only reminds us of the importance of Hindi, but also reminds us that this is a modern form of the world’s most ancient and rich languages, which has done the work of connecting crores of people.
Know how old Hindi, how many languages were born after this, how much Hindi became global and which poets and writers made it rich.
Where are the roots of Hindi connected to?
The roots of Hindi are associated with ancient language like Sanskrit. Sanskrit is considered to be about 3500 to 4000 years old language. Prakrit and Apabhramsa languages became from Sanskrit. With these apabhransh dialects, Hindavi, Hindustani, Hindostani dialect emerged in the medieval period, which later got the name “Hindi”. Historians believe that the form of Hindi started taking shape about a thousand years ago, when Hindi -ethnic influences (Persian, Arabic, Turkish etc.) and local dialects together made it a lively, interaction language.
How old is Hindi?
If we add it to Sanskrit and Apabhramsa, then the roots of Hindi are thousands of years old. But modern Khadi dialect based Hindi can be considered about 500-600 years old. Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas (16th century) and Kabir’s couplets show the initial standard form of Hindi.
How many languages came after Hindi?
The linguistic journey of human civilization has been such that new languages have always been born from old. According to Ethnologue 2024, the number of languages known in the world today is about 7100. Many of these small languages are becoming extinct. The Indian subcontinent alone has more than 122 main languages and more than 19,500 dialects. Hindi was born from Sanskrit and Prakrit chain, and after that modern Indian languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Oriya, Bangla also developed.
How much Hindi became global?
- Today Hindi is not limited to India only, but has become a global identity.
- On globally, Hindi is spoken or understood by about 60 crore people.
- The number of people speaking as mother tongue is about 45-48 crores.
- 12-15 crore people use it as a second language.
- The place of Hindi in the list of most spoken languages in the world comes from third to fourth order.
- It is seen competing with languages like Hindi, English, Chinese Mandarin and Spanish.
- There are notable number of Hindi speakers in countries like India, Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, America, England, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
- In the United Nations, Hindi is being seen with increasing importance and translation facilities in Hindi are increasing.
Depth and literary tradition of Hindi
Hindi is not only the language of conversation, but a heritage of world literature. And it is taking expansion from birth till date.
- Devotional period: Poets like Kabir, Surdas, Tulsidas, Rahim etc. gave Hindi the form of spiritual and lingua franca.
- Ritual time: Poetry of Bihari, Dev, Keshav made Hindi make up Hindi, ornamentation and aesthetic language.
- Modern period: Bharatendu Harishchandra, Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, Jaishankar Prasad, Ramdhari Singh “Dinkar” gave Hindi a new place in literature and nationalism.
- Contemporary Age: Hindi has developed in line with modern times in fiction, poetry, film, drama and digital media.
What is the strength of Hindi?
Hindi is strong today from North India to Central India and migrant region. It is capable of assimilating words from other languages. Hindi has taken many words from English, Persian and Arabic. Hindi content is increasing continuously on the Internet. The number of people using Hindi on Google and social media has increased at a rapid pace. Due to Bollywood cinema and Indian TV channels, Hindi is popular worldwide.
Language and identity
Hindi is not only a means of dialogue, but it is a symbol of Indian identity and cultural identity. When a migrant Indian talks in Hindi, he feels connected to his roots. Hindi songs, proverbs, idioms and folklore keeps the culture flowing in the veins of Indian society alive.
International challenges and possibilities
- English is a challenge in the world over the world.
- Technical translation and machine learning is not yet used at that level as English.
- But due to Digital India, Google Translate, AI based tools, and mobile consumer culture, the acceptance of Hindi is increasing.
In this way we find that Hindi is like a Virat Vatavriksha whose roots are spread in thousands of years old Sanskrit and Prakrit tradition. This language is not only a door to connect the Indian public, but it has also established its identity firmly on the world stage.
Hindi Day reminds us of the glory, utility and pride of this language. It is not only the language of dialogue, but an integral part of our culture, literature, history and identity. If we adopt our language confidently, Hindi can also become a major communication medium for the world in the coming time.
Also read: Did the Mughals know Hindi, which language came from Uzbekistan to India?