Every year on January 10, World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is commemorated. Vishwa Hindi Diwas was formed to mark the day when Hindi was first spoken in the UNGA in 1949. With about 600 million speakers globally, Hindi is the third most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and English.
World Hindi Day: History, In 1950, Hindi was made the official language of the Union of India. The official language of India is designated as Hindi in Devanagari script in Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. Rashtra bhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha, had the idea for the inaugural World Hindi Conference in 1973. On January 10, 1975, Nagpur hosted the event. Its goal was to spread the language throughout the world. A total of 122 representatives from 30 nations attended the conference.
The very first World Hindi Day was celebrated on January 10, 2006. Dr Manmohan Singh, a former prime minister, adopted it. Numerous activities are planned on this day all around the world to honour the language’s rich legacy and to promote it. These are frequently hosted by educational institutions and take the form of literary contests, public forums, and cultural events.
Additionally, classes are provided to educate people about the language. In partnership with the Government of Fiji, the Ministry of External Affairs will host the 12th World Hindi Conference in Fiji from February 15-17.
World Hindi Day: Significance
World Hindi Day is an occasion to recognise Hindi as a universal language. This special day also places a strong emphasis on developing a passion for the language and valuing the contributions of Hindi speakers. It is also used to spread awareness of the use of the Indian language, as well as the ongoing issues with Hindi usage and promotion.
World Hindi Day: Celebration
Vishwa Hindi Diwas, also known as World Hindi Day, is marked by The Ministry of External Affairs with characteristic fervour. Numerous activities are planned both nationally and internationally to promote Hindi. This typically includes events like poetry readings, tests, cultural events, speech competitions, and debates. In addition to this, the Indian Postal Department also releases unique commemorative stamps to mark the growth of Hindi as a language.
World Hindi Day: Theme
The conference’s main theme in 2023 is ‘Hindi: Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence’. The conference will be held at the Denarau Island Convention Center in Nadi, Fiji. “Several exhibitions related to the development of the Hindi language will be organised at the conference venue,” reads a post on the World Hindi Conference’s official website. Cultural programmes and Kavi Sammelan is also proposed to be organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, during the conference.