The Sarawagi or Saraogi or Sarawgi

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

community, meaning a Jain

Śrāvaka Śrāvaka (Sanskrit) or Sāvaka (Pali) means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple". This term is used in Buddhism and Jainism. In Jainism, a śrāvaka is any lay Jain so the term śrāvaka has been used for the Jain community itself (for example ...

, is also known as the Khandelwal. They originated from Khandela, a historical town in northern Rajasthan. The Sarawagi community owes its name to a strong historical association with Jainism. Also technically the term Sarawagi or shravaka is applicable to all Jains, the Khandelwal Jains is the only community that has used it extensively, although the term is sometimes also used by Jain Agrawals in Rajasthan. The Khandelwals have 84 divisions. The legendary origin of these divisions is given in a 17th-century book, "Shravakotpatti Varnanam". It mentions how the ruler Girakhandel of Khandela was planning to sacrifice one thousand Jain monks in a naramedha

yajña Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Bo ...

. However, with the assistance of goddess

Chakreshvari In Jain cosmology, Chakeshvari or ''Apraticakra'' is the guardian goddess or Yakshini (attendant deity) of Rishabhanatha. She is the tutelary deity of the Sarawagi Jain community. Iconography The color of the goddess is golden. Her Vehicle i ...

, muni

Jinasena Jinasena (c. 9th century CE) was a monk and scholar in the ''Digambara'' tradition of Jainism. He was patronized by the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. He was the author of ''Adipurana'' and '' Mahapurana''.gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotra ...

Organizations

The Khandelwal Digambar Jain Mahasabha was founded by Lunkaran Pandya of Jhalarapatan and Padam Chand Benara of Agra (both then living in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

) on 28 Feb. 1916 in Bombay. The first convention of the Mahasabha was held in 1920, where the publication of "Khandelwal jain Hitechchhu" was initiated. Several regional branches of the Mahasabha were established, however they all became inactive around 1932. The Mahasabha has been revived recently, its current office is in

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divis ...

. It has recently several published directories. So far the community count has been done for 1794 towns with 29,944 families and 185,556 individuals. This does not include the city of Jaipur, which is the largest center.

Prominent Khandelwal Jains

Jivaraj Papriwal Jivaraja Paprival was the installer of as many as 100,000 Jain images in the 15th century, now found in Jain temples all over India. He was a trader in the town of Modasa believed to be in Gujarat. He was probably born in Surat, Gujarat. India ...

(Pratishtas in 1491 AD) *

Pandit Todarmal Pandit Todarmal (1719–1766) was an eminent Indian Jain scholar and writer.History of the Jaipur City By Ashim Kumar Roy He led the creation of ''terapanthi'' community among the ''Digambara'' Jains by rejecting the authority of ''bhattarakas' ...

(1719–1766), author of

Moksh Marg Prakashak Pandit Todarmal (1719–1766) was an eminent Indian Jain scholar and writer.History of the Jaipur City By Ashim Kumar Roy He led the creation of ''terapanthi'' community among the ''Digambara'' Jains by rejecting the authority of ''bhattarakas' ...

Poet Bhudhardas A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

(1700-1765) * Poet Budhjan, 1770-1838 CE Kavivar Budhajan Vyaktitva Evam Krititva, Dr. Mulchand Shastri, Mahavir Granth Academy Jaipur, 1986, p. vii

Agarwal Sarawagis

The term Sarawagi or Saraogi, Sarawgi, Sarogi is also used by are Agarwal Sarawagis from Churu, Fatehpur Shekhawati, Lakshmangarh, Pilani and several other places as well as other districts of Rajasthan. They are a section of

Agrawal Jain Agrawals are the descendent of Maharaja Agrasen who was a legendary Indian king of Agroha, a city of traders. He is the descendant of Kush, son of lord Ram and he was born in 35th generation after lord Ram. He is credited with the establishment ...

community.

Notes

References

* {{Social groups of Maharashtra Jain communities Social groups of Rajasthan People from Sikar district

Organizations

Prominent Khandelwal Jains

Agarwal Sarawagis

See also

Notes

References