Nai, also known as Sain/Sen, is a generic term for occupational castes of barbers. The name is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word ''nāpita'' (नापित). In modern times Nai in northern India refer to themselves as "Sain" instead of Nai.
The Nai caste was listed as an
Other Backward Classes in various regions of India. These include
Andhra Pradesh,
Assam,
Bihar,
Chandigarh,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli,
Daman and Diu,
Delhi NCR,
Goa,
,
Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh,
Goa,
,
Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
Odisha,
Puducherry,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Tripura,
Uttaranchal
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
,
Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal.
History
The traditional occupation of Nais is barbering. The barber also has duties in connection with marriages and other festive occasions. They act as the Brahmin’s assistant, and perform marriages for the lower castes, who cannot employ a Brahmin.
Origin
Puranic view
According to a legend prevalent among Nai they are descended from Nabhi, who in puranic literature is king of the
Ikshvaku dynasty.
Other views
They are refereed as Ampitta in
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
. 'Ampitta' is derived from the Sanskrit word "
Ambashtha", which means Physician. In Tamil region some members of the barber caste practiced medicine and used to be called Ambathan.
Impact of the Ideas of Sain
The process of the Nais adopting the ideas and teachings of
Bhagat Sain
Bhagat Sain was a Hindu and Sikh religious figure lived in the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth century. His name was known in every house due to his devotion to god. Bhagat Sain was a barber of the royal court of Raja Ram, ...
can be conceptualized as Sainization, depicted through deifying Sain by setting up the institution of ''Sainacharya''.
Sain
Sain may refer to:
People
* Bhagat Sain (14th and 15th centuries), king of Rewa, disciple of Bhagat Ramanand
* Édouard Alexandre Sain (1830–1910), a French painter
* Isidoro Sain (1869–1932), Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church
* Johnny ...
, who was the contemporaries of
Kabir, the Bhakti poet who challenged the hegemonic values and hierarchy of the caste system, has become the most revered symbol of pride and identity formation of the Nais. In order to assert their cultural autonomy in 1992 ''Akhil Bharatiya Sain Bhaktipith Trust'' was set up on the occasion of the
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...
''
mahakumbh mela'' headed in
Pushkar. Achlanandji Maharaj was made the first ''Sainacharya''.
Notable people
*
Bhagat Sain
Bhagat Sain was a Hindu and Sikh religious figure lived in the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth century. His name was known in every house due to his devotion to god. Bhagat Sain was a barber of the royal court of Raja Ram, ...
, Saint and Bhakti Poet
*
Sahib Singh, one of the Panj Pyare
*
Bhikhari Thakur, Bhojpuri Poet
*
Karpoori Thakur
Karpoori Thakur (24 January 1924 – 17 February 1988) was an Indian politician from the Bihar state. He was popularly known as Jan Nayak (Hindi for people's hero). He served as the Chief Minister of Bihar from December 1970 to June 1971 ( Soc ...
, Former C.M of Bihar
References
{{Social groups of Maharashtra
Indian castes
Sikh communities
Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
Social groups of Madhya Pradesh
Social groups of Haryana
Social groups of West Bengal
Social groups of Assam
Social groups of Andhra Pradesh
Social groups of Karnataka
Social groups of Tamil Nadu
Social groups of Rajasthan
Social groups of Odisha
Social groups of Bihar
Social groups of Gujarat
Social groups of Maharashtra
Barber castes