Jainism in Bengal
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Archaeological evidence shows Jainism was a significant religion in Bengal region during the early historic period.[1]
Sarak
[edit]Saraks are a Jain community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times; however, they were isolated and sain community in western, northern and southern India.
According to Ramesh Chandra Majumder, the Jain scholar Bhadrabahu, the second Louhacharya and the author of Kalpa Sutra may have come from the Sarak community.[2] The Saraks were agriculturists and moneylenders having landed properties.
They have continued to remain vegetarian even though this practice is uncommon among other communities in the region. Saraks have Parshva as a favored patron and recite the Ṇamōkāra mantra. The 24th Tirthankara Mahavira visited this region according to the Kalpa Sūtra.
The Saraks lost contact with Jains in the rest of India after its conquest by Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji. Contact with the Digambara Bundelkhand Jains was reestablished when the Parwars Manju Chaudhary (1720–1785) was appointed the governor of Cuttack by the Maratha Empire.
In 2009, more than 165 Sarak Jains living in parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand visited the ancient Jain pilgrimage center of Shravanabelagola. A special function to welcome the Sarak Jains was organised at Shravanabelagola.[3]
Population
[edit]Population by district
[edit]Most of the Bengali Jains now live in the Indian state of West Bengal.
| # | District | Total population | Jain population | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kolkata | 4,496,694 |
254678 || 4.09% | |
| 2 | Haora | 4,850,029 | 9,699 | 0.20% |
| 3 | North 24 Parganas | 10,009,781 | 4,452 | 0.04% |
| 4 | Puruliya | 2,930,115 | 3,052 | 0.10% |
| 5 | Murshidabad | 7,103,807 | 3,037 | 0.04% |
| 6 | 3,596,674 | 2,904 | 0.08% | |
| 7 | Hugli | 5,519,145 | 2,160 | 0.04% |
| 8 | Koch Bihar | 2,819,086 | 1,869 | 0.07% |
| 9 | Darjiling | 1,846,823 | 1,840 | 0.10% |
| 10 | Barddhaman | 7,717,563 | 1,674 | 0.02% |
| 11 | Paschim Medinipur | 5,913,457 | 1,550 | 0.03% |
| 12 | Jalpaiguri | 3,872,846 | 1,461 | 0.04% |
| 13 | Uttar Dinajpur | 3,007,134 | 1,324 | 0.04% |
| 14 | Birbhum | 3,502,404 | 1,152 | 0.03% |
| 15 | South 24 Parganas | 8,161,961 | 972 | 0.01% |
| 16 | Maldah | 3,988,845 | 639 | 0.02% |
| 17 | Purba Medinipur | 5,095,875 | 574 | 0.01% |
| 18 | Dakshin Dinajpur | 1,676,276 | 323 | 0.02% |
| 19 | Nadia | 5,167,600 | 281 | 0.01% |
| West Bengal (Total) | 91,276,115 | 60,141 | 0.07% |
Trends
[edit]| Census year | % of total population |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 0.08% |
| 1961 | 0.08% |
| 1971 | 0.07% |
| 1981 | 0.07% |
| 1991 | 0.05% |
| 2001 | 0.07% |
| 2011 | 0.06% |
It is to ensure that the above mentioned data is incorrect while the actual percent is very high for jains and other religions those following Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and others. So far my details and research the population is also wrong for the above mentioned cases. Thanks for your attention. Thank you. Edited by hindustani .. express
Temples
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Sat Deul, Deulia -
Banda Jain temple -
Deul at Charara -
Parshvanatha temple, Deulbhira -
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Deul at Dharapat -
Panchayati Temple, Bara Bazar
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See also
[edit]
Re
[edit]- ^ Bibliography PC Bagchi, 'Development of Religious Ideas' in RC Majumdar (ed), History of Bengal, Vol-1, Dacca, 1968 (2nd edn);
- ^ Kundu, Santosh Kumar (2008). Bangali Hindu Jati Parichay [An Introduction of Bengali Hindu Castes] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Presidency Library. pp. 273–275. ISBN 978-81-89466-13-8.
- ^ "> News Updates". Www.Jainheritagecentres.Com. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ Population by religious community: West Bengal. 2011 Census of India.
- ^ B.P. Syam Roy (28 September 2015). "Bengal's topsy-turvy population growth". The Statesman. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016.
Jain centres in West Bengal | |
|---|---|
| Historical centres | |
| Presently active centres | |
| See also | |
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