Chhattisgarhi (Devanagari: छत्तीसगढ़ी) is the official language in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, spoken by 17.5 million people. It is an Eastern Hindi language with heavy vocabulary and linguistic features from Munda and Dravidian languages. Chhattisgarhi has been known by the name Khaltahi to surrounding hill-people and by the name Laria to Sambalpuri and Oriya speakers. The speakers are concentrated in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and in adjacent areas of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Chhattisgarhi cultural and political movements, with origins going back to the 1920s, affirmed Chhattisgarhi linguistic and cultural identity and sought greater autonomy within India. This came about in 2000 when 16 districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh became the new state of Chhattisgarh.
