Jain community
Encyclopedia
The Jains
in India have been the last direct representatives of the Shramana
tradition in India. They follow Jainism, as the dharma
taught by the 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Mahavira
.
rate, 94.1% compared with the national average of 65.38%. They have the highest female literacy rate, 90.6% compared with the national average of 54.16%. It is believed that the Jains also have the highest per capita income in India.Press Information Bureau - Indian Government
It is likely that the actual population of Jains may be significantly higher than the census numbers.
The Jain population in USA is estimated to be about 180,000 to 200,000.
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
in India have been the last direct representatives of the Shramana
Shramana
A shramana is a wandering monk in certain ascetic traditions of ancient India including Jainism, Buddhism, and Ājīvikism. Famous śramaṇas include Mahavira and Gautama Buddha....
tradition in India. They follow Jainism, as the dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
taught by the 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Mahavira
Mahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
.
Cultural influence
The Jains have the highest literacyLiteracy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
rate, 94.1% compared with the national average of 65.38%. They have the highest female literacy rate, 90.6% compared with the national average of 54.16%. It is believed that the Jains also have the highest per capita income in India.Press Information Bureau - Indian Government
Communities
There are about 110 different Jain communities in India and overseas. They can be divided into six groups based on historical and current residence.- Central India (Madhya Pradesh/Uttar Pradesh)
- Western India (Gujarat/Jains in Maharashtra)
- Northern India (Jains in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttaranchal) (BhabraBhabraBhabra is an ancient merchant community from Punjab whose population mainly follows Jainism,.The Bhabra community has had a close historical association with Jainism. It is believed to be connected with the Bhavadar or Bhavada Gachchha to which the legendary Jain Acharya Kalakacharya belonged to....
/Baniya Communities: Lamechwal, AgrawalAgrawalAgrawal or Agarwal is a large and influential community in India. Agrawals are Kshatriya by birth of the Solar Dynasty but after the adoption of Vanika dharma by king Agrasena, Agrawals started dealing in business...
, OswalOswalThe Oswal are a social group of people from the Indian States of Rajasthan and Punjab. Oswals are primarily adherents of Svetambara Jainism, but a few are Digambaras and some are Hindu adherents of Vaishnavism....
, KhandelwalKhandelwalKhandelwal is the name of three separate communities* Khandelwal Jain, a major Jain community, also known as Sarawagi .* Khandelwal Brahmin, a Brahmin community* Khandelwal Vaishya, a Vaishnav vaish trading community...
, Porwal, MaheshwariMaheshwariMaheshwari are a business community of Vaishnava, originating from Khandela, Rajasthan in western India. They are a sub-group within the Marwaris community. The community is found throughout North India.- History & Origin :...
, etc.) - Southern India (Jains of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka {Kannada and Tulu Jains}, Tamil Jain|Tamil Nadu, Kerala)
- Eastern India (Jains in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal: See [[Sarak]])
- Overseas Jains (Germany, USA, UK, East Africa, Belgium, Australia, Canada)
Population
The Jain population in India according to 2001 census is 4,225,053 out of the total population of India 1,028,610,328. The states or regions with largest populations are:- MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
– 1,301,843 - RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
– 650,493 - Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
– 545,446 - Gujarat – 525,305
- KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
– 412,659 - Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
– 207,111 - DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
– 155,122 - Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
– 83,359
It is likely that the actual population of Jains may be significantly higher than the census numbers.
The Jain population in USA is estimated to be about 180,000 to 200,000.
See also
- Jainism in DelhiJainism in DelhiDelhi is an ancient center of Jainism, home to over 165 Jain temples. Delhi has a large population of Jains spread all over the city. It has had continued presenece of a Jain community throughout its history, and it is still a major Jain center....
- Jainism in the United StatesJainism in the United StatesAdherents of Jainism first arrived in the United States in the 20th century. The most significant time of Jain immigration was in the early 1970s. The United States has since become a center of the Jain Diaspora.-History:...
- Jainism in MumbaiJainism in MumbaiMumbai has one the largest populations of Jains among all the cities in India.Mumbai has numerous Jain temples. One of the best known is the Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple, Walkeshwar ....
- Tamil JainTamil JainTamil Jains or Camaṇar are a Tamil people from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu who practice Digambara Jainism . They are a micro-community of around 85,000...
- Jains in Maharashtra
- SarakSarakThe Saraks is a community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times, however were isolated and separated from the main body of the Jain community in western, northern and southern India.-History:There are remains of many historical Jain temples...
- Jain Bunt