bandh
|bandh|
/bənd/
deliberate closure / shutdown
Etymology
'bandh' originates from Hindi and Urdu (Modern Indo-Aryan), specifically the word 'bandh' (बन्ध/بند), where the root 'bandh-' meant 'to bind, to close'.
'bandh' traces back through Prakrit and Sanskrit: from Sanskrit 'bandha' (बन्ध) meaning 'a tying, bond' or the verb 'bandhati' meaning 'to bind', which in modern Indo-Aryan languages yielded the sense 'closed' and the noun 'bandh' for a shutdown.
Initially it referred to 'binding' or 'a bond/closure' in a literal sense; over time it evolved into the modern political sense of an organized 'closure' or 'general strike' (a deliberate shutdown of services).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a political shutdown or general strike (especially in South Asia) in which businesses, transport, and public services are closed or stopped, often as a form of protest or coercion.
The city was deserted during the bandh called by the opposition.
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Noun 2
a forced or unofficial closure or blockade of shops, roads, or services, sometimes enforced by activists.
Several neighborhoods faced blockades during the bandh.
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Last updated: 2026/01/10 06:44