Pawari

Pawari or Bhoyari is an Indo-Aryan dialect of central India, exclusively spoken by the people of the Kshatriya Pawar (Bhoyar Pawar) caste. It is a dialect of the Rajasthani Malvi language, primarily spoken in the regions of Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna and Wardha districts by the people of Kshatriya Pawar (Bhoyar Pawar) caste. It is the same language these people used to speak in their original homes in Rajasthan and Malwa. Between the 13th and 17th centuries, the Pawars migrated from Rajasthan and Malwa to the Satpura and Vidarbha regions, settling primarily in Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, and Wardha districts. This language is exclusive to the Pawar community; no people of other castes speak this language, clearly showing the connection of Pawars to Rajasthan and Malwa.

In the present, this dialect of Rajasthani Malvi has little influence from Bundeli, Nimadi, and Marathi languages. In the districts of Betul, Chhindwara, and Pandhurna, Pawari has a slight Bundeli influence, whereas in the Wardha district, there is more Marathi influence. Pawari spoken in Betul, Chhindwara, and Pandhurna districts is considered pure as it is not much influenced by any other language, having only a slight Bundeli touch. Whereas Pawari of the Wardha district is slightly more mixed with Marathi. Hence, Pawari of Betul, Chhindwara, and Pandhurna is considered more prestigious.

Despite the change in the location of Pawars, they still retain their pure Rajasthani Malvi language. According to some scholars, Pawari is a dialect of Rangri (another dialect of Rajasthani Malvi), which is slightly mixed with Marwari, Mewadi, and Gujarati languages, further showing the connection of Pawars to Rajasthan and Malwa. This connection not only proves their origin was from Rajasthan and Malwa but also shows how well they retained their language throughout these years despite the change in geographical location and living among people of a totally different culture and language.

The Pawari/Bhoyari dialect is sometimes referred to as Bhomiyari, Bhoyaroo, Bhuiyar, Bhuria, Bohoyeri, Panwari or Puwari.