Language of Uttar Pradesh is varied and rich. Hindi is the official language and Urdu is the second most widely spoken language in Uttar Pradesh. Various regional variations of Hindi are spoken in the various parts of this heavily populated state.
Hindi is the official language of Uttar Pradesh. The official Hindi speech, of 'khari boli' is considered to be the standard Hindi speech. Although it is not spoken in its strict form in the matters of everyday life, it is he official lingua franka of the state, and is extensively used in all official matters. Urdu is the second most widely spoken Uttar Pradesh language. Nine per cent of the entire population use this language. A favorite among poets and writers, much of the original charm of this language of Uttar Pradesh is heartily retained by speakers. The use of a colorful blend of Hindi and Urdu called 'Hindustani' is considered very sweet and lyrical. It is represented in both the 'Devnagari' and the 'Nastaliq' script, and is the preferred language of a large section of the Uttar Pradesh's population.
Various local dialects spoken across the state add to the richness of Uttar Pradesh's language. Awadhi was once the most popular regional variation of Hindi, recently replaced by Bhojpuri. While Awadhi is spoken by the people of the Oudh region and was a favorite of the Sufi poets, Bhojpuri is the prefered language of the populace of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Braj bhasa, considered by legend as the language of lord Krishna, is famous for its lilting lyrical quality. Apart from these major linguistic variations, there are a large number of languages in Uttar Pradesh spoken by comparatively smaller linguistic groups. Bagheli, Budeli, Punjabi and Hariyanvi are some of them.
