Ballia is located in Uttar Pradesh. The district is divided into six tehsils which are known as Ballia, Bansdih, Rasra, Bairiya, Sikandarpur and Belthara. In spite of the six tehsils or taluka the entire district of Ballia enjoys a similar culture. The culture and the beliefs of the local people of Ballia has its roots in its major state, Uttar Pradesh. The overall culture of the state plays a significant role for determining the culture of the district. However, there is some customization which is seen while following the customs and rituals. Each district rather each family has made changes in their traditions as per the time and knowledge acquired over the times.
Dadri festival
Ballia is a home for various saints and legends. The city has also given birth to various well known poets and novelists and hence one can say that literature is in the bloods of the people of Ballia. Scholars like Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Parshuram Chaturvedi, Amarkant are some of the scholars who had their roots in Ballia. Hence it is said that Hindi literature has many got many inspirations from Ballia district.
Apart from literature, Ballia is known as holy city and hence the city or even the district follows strict Indian culture. The people here are believers of well known saint Bhrigu and have built a Bhrigu Ashram for him. According to Hindu mythology it is believed that saint Bhrigu was the one who had hit Lord Vishnu on his chest.
Language of People in Ballia
The main language of people in Ballia is Bhojpuri. However, the national language Hindi is known by all of them in Ballia. The Bhojpuri language has its roots in Hindi. However, Urdu and English are also some of the languages spoken by people in Ballia. One should not misunderstand the Bhojpuri language of Bihar to that of Ballia, as both are different. People in Bihar and Ballia have a difference in their Bhojpuri language in terms of accent and tone. The people of Ballia also called their language as Balliyavi in order to distinguish itself from Bhojpuri language of Bihar and other states.
Festivals of Ballia
Ballia is in Uttar Pradesh and hence all the festivals like Holi, Eid, Makar Sankranti, Teej, Bakrid and Diwali are celebrated in Ballia as well. However, there are some festivals which are celebrated in only Ballia. One of the most important festivals for the people of Ballia is Dadri Mela, the second largest cattle fair in the country. Dadri Mela is held annually to honour Dadar Muni, disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu. This fair is divided into two halves; in the first half traders sell and purchases their cattle and in the second phase cultural programs are held. This fair is held on the onset of Kartik Poornima which mostly falls in the months of October or November.
Another important festival for the people in Ballia is the Chatt Puja which is performed by the married women of the society.
Dance and Music in Ballia
The major influence on various dance forms and music in Ballia is from the lives of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. The major folk dance form known in Ballia include, Raslila, Ramlila, Naqaal, Swang, Dadra, Khayal and Charkula. Dancers reveal the divine characters of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna while performing these dances. Various phases of life of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are captured by dancers and performed in any one of the above dance forms.