Maithili is spoken across the Mithila region of north Bihar and the eastern Terai of Nepal. It belongs simultaneously to household conversation, literary traditions, music and a cultural geography that crosses the international border.
Constitutional recognition
Maithili is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. That recognition gives it a distinct place in national institutional life, although census totals may still understate its reach when speakers report Hindi instead of their home language.
Tirhuta, Kaithi and Devanagari
Tirhuta was historically a principal script for Maithili, and regional forms of Kaithi were also used. Devanagari is the script most commonly encountered today. These scripts should not be treated as decorative relics: manuscripts, family documents and lettering practices preserve different chapters of the language’s written history.
The next stage of this page should connect speakers, teachers, writers, musicians and manuscript custodians across both contemporary Bihar and Nepal.
Listen and watch
Hear Maithili
Hear Maithili in conversation, storytelling and public life.
Starting references