The Awadhi people or Awadhis (Awadhi: अवधी, اودھی) are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak the Awadhi language and reside in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. Many Awadhis also migrated to Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha in India and some adjoining regions of the Terai in Nepal, and in addition 3 per cent of Nepalis are Awadhi speakers. Awadhi people can be found throughout the world, most notably in Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, South Africa, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Historically, Indo-Aryans dominated the North Indian Gangetic Planes; thus, the Awadhi language continuously evolved over the centuries in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. The Awadhi language is spoken by about 55 million people. In India, native speakers are estimated to be 65 million, while in Nepal native speakers are estimated to be 500,000 people. Linguistically, Awadhi is a distinct language with its own grammar. However, the Indian government considers Awadhi to be a dialect of Hindi due to political reasons. Awadhi is not formally taught in any institution.

Awadhi, also known as Audhi, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India and in Terai region of western Nepal. The name Awadh is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city, which is regarded as the homeland of the Hindu deity Rama, the earthly avatar of Vishnu. It was, along with Braj, used widely as a literary vehicle before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. Though distinct from standard Hindi, it continues to be spoken today in its unique form in many districts of central Uttar Pradesh. It is regarded by the Indian government to be a dialect of Hindi, and the area where Awadhi is spoken to be a part of the Hindi-language area owing to their cultural proximity, meanwhile Standard Hindi also serves as the lingua franca of the region. As a result, Hindi, rather than Awadhi, is used for school instruction as well as administrative and official purposes; and its literature falls within the scope of Hindi literature. Some of the most culturally significant works in Indian literature like the Ramcharitmanas have been written in Awadhi. Alternative names of Awadhi include Baiswāri (after the subregion of Baiswara), as well as the sometimes ambiguous Pūrbī, literally meaning "eastern", and Kōsalī (named after the ancient Kosala Kingdom).

Awadhi (in Hindi pronounced as /əʋ.d̪ʱi/; Devanagari: अवधी, Kaithi:), also known as Audhi (Hindi: औधी,), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India and in Terai region of western Nepal. The name Awadh is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city, which is regarded as the homeland of the Hindu god Rama. It was, along with Braj, used widely as a literary vehicle before being displaced by Hindi in the 19th century. It is regarded by the Indian government to be a dialect of Hindi, and the area where Awadhi is spoken to be a part of the Hindi-language area owing to their cultural proximity, meanwhile Standard Hindi also serves as the lingua franca of the region. As a result, Hindi, rather than Awadhi, is used for school instruction as well as administrative and official purposes; and its literature falls within the scope of Hindi literature. Some of the most culturally significant works in Indian literature like the Ramcharitmanas have been written in Awadhi. Alternative names of Awadhi include Baiswāri (after the subregion of Baiswara), as well as the sometimes ambiguous Pūrbī, literally meaning "eastern", and Kōsalī (named after the ancient Kosala Kingdom).

Awadhi cuisine (Hindi: अवधी पाक-शैली, Urdu: اودھی کھانے) is a cuisine native to the Awadh region in Northern India and Southern Nepal. The cooking patterns of Lucknow are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India and western India with the cuisine comprising both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The Awadh region has been influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Central Asia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad. The city is also known for its Nawabi foods. The bawarchis (chefs) and rakabdars (gourmet cooks) of Awadh invented the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today. Their spreads consisted of elaborate dishes such as kebabs, kormas, biryanis, kaliyas, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, rumali rotis, and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices, which include cardamom and saffron. Kebabs are an integral part of Awadhi. Lucknow is proud of its Kebabs. There are several varieties of popular kebabs in Awadhi cuisine viz. Kakori Kebabs, Galawat ke Kebabs, Shami Kebabs, Boti Kebabs, Patili-ke-Kebabs, Ghutwa Kebabs and Seekh Kebabs are among the known varieties. The kebabs of Awadhi cuisine are distinct from the kebabs of Punjab insofar as Awadhi kebabs are grilled on a chula and sometimes in a skillet as opposed to grilled in a tandoor in Punjab. Awadhi kebabs are also called "chula" kebabs whereas the kebabs of Punjab are called "tandoori" kebabs.

Languages are not only a means of communication but also carriers of the culture, history, and identity of a particular community or place. One such language that holds significance in Nepal is Awadhi. Awadhi language is an Indo-Aryan language. It has a history importance, and a unique structure of language. Awadhi language played a importance role in the cultural landscape of Nepal. It speaks particular southern part called Terai Madhesh area of Nepal. Awadhi language is originated from the Indo-Aryan languages that emerged in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Awadhi language have been evolved from the Sanskrit language, which was spoken by ancient Indian communities. The term “Awadhi” is derived from the region of Awadh or Ayodhya, historically located in what is now the northern part of Uttar Pradesh, India. Most people are speaking in the Awadhi in this region. Awadhi language is classified as an Indo-Aryan language, it belonging to the same language family as Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, and Marathi. It has many verbal features, such as its vocabulary and grammatical structure. It primarily uses the Devanagari script for writing. However, Awadhi has its unique characteristics that differentiate it from other languages.