Ghoti People

Ghoti People

Ghoti (Bengali: ঘটি), also called Paschimbangiya (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গীয়) or Edeshi (Bengali: এদেশী), are a social group native to West Bengal (Paschimbanga), India. Their dialects, folk traditions (Lokachar) and cuisine are distinct from those of the Purbabangiyas or the natives of erstwhile eastern Bengal.

The term came into greater use after many people from Bangladesh (then East Bengal and later East Pakistan) migrated to West Bengal during and after the Partition of Bengal in 1947. Initially there was a cultural and sociological clash between the native population and the refugees.

Ghotis are frequently distinguished by their Bangla accent and use of certain local dialects and figures of speech that Bangals in general would not use. Also, certain sweets, like Sponge Rosogolla, Ledikeni, Lengcha, Mihidana, Rasakadamba, Rajbhog, Gopalbhog are known to originate in Western Bengal.

Amongst the Bengali Hindus of India, "Bangal" and "Ghoti" are used as social sub-groups indicating the ancestral origin of a family. Those whose families came from East Bengal are Bangals and those whose families originated in West Bengal are Ghotis. The term 'Bangal' as used here has little relation to actual geography, since most members of these groups all now live in India. The term is used freely and not considered derogatory within this social class.

There are many a differences found in the cultural events, food or sports where the Bangals love Ilish and the Ghoti love Ching-ri (Prawns), the Bangals celebrate Lakshmi puja in the fifth day after Durja Puja and the Ghoti perform Lakshmi puja (mostly in home only) on the Kali Puja day.