Pahari

The word Pahari has been derived from Pahar which means HILLS and MOUNTAINS. In Sikh history we are familier with a word Pahari Rajas.

Pahari is a language spoken by more than ten million people spreading from Nepal through Himachal state, Poonch,Rajouri, and Uri of the J&K state, Pakistan administered Kashmir, through out in the North Pakistan ,up to the river Indus and Chitral, is one of most anicient languages spoken in central and south Asia. In ancient times Sharda script was used to write this language,which was developed by Budhist monks of Kashmir. But unfortunately it suffered due to the division of Kashmir. There are 22 vowel sounds in Pahari Language all of them are monothongs, dipthongs and frithongs are non exitent, there are 38 consonants in Pahari. It has two prominent universities Sharda in Muzaffarabad capital of POK and Taxila in Northen Pakistan which was then Budhist capital. It is widely known that students from China, Korea , Japan and other countries came to Sharda and Taxila to study and get enlightened. Pahari in Budhist time Was written in Sharda Script. It is argued that Gurmukhi , Punjabi still has 8 letter from the Alphabet of Sharda and in Kashmir people still keep books in that form. currently the alphabet is known as Lundi. Sharda Pahari can still be readily seen on Budhist temples and other famous Budhists caves and spring sites. Aftesr Sharda's and Taxila's destruction Pahari started dwindling and being replaced by new establishment.The facing the plight of the elite and those at the helm of affairs.Presently it is written in Hindi or Lundi script.