Porwad
Encyclopedia
·Porvad also called Porwad / Porwal, are an ancient Jain community that originated from southern Rajasthan
. In Sanskrit
inscriptions it is called Pragvata (प्राग्वाट).
They have originated from a region east of ancient Shrimal. Today numerically they rank behind the Oswal
and Shrimal
Jains from the same region. However in antiquity, they appear to have been more numerous and among the wealthiest. Many of the most famous Jain temples were built by the Porwads:
The term Pragvad refers to a region that eventually was called Mewad. A Kalchuri inscription refers to the Guhilots as ruling the Pragvad region.
The Porvad community became divided into several regional communities including:
Eventually they became independent communities. Some of the groups became a part of the Oswal
or Navnat communities.
Both Jain traditions, Svetambara
and Digambara are represented among different sections of the Porwad community. The historian H.L. Jain has suggested that Krisha, the patron of Muni Srichandra, a Digambara monk belonged to the same family Ninanvaya clan as Vimala who built the Vimala Vasahi temple at Abu. Thus the one branche of the family followed Swetamabra tradition, while other followed Digambara tradition. This suggests the harmonious coexistence to the two Jain traditions in that region.
In the 16th century, Pushti Marga was founded by Vallabha, a Brahmin scholar from Telangana, who proposed that in the modern age, it is too hard to follow the Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Marga
s. He proposed Pushti Marga (pursuance of worldly luxuries Raga, Bhoga and Shringar) as an alternative. A section of the Porwads has converted to Pushtimarga. Those who have converted to the Pushtimarg are known as Meshri (derived from Maheshwari) or Vania.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān 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...
. In Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
inscriptions it is called Pragvata (प्राग्वाट).
Oswal
The 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....
and Shrimal
Shrimal Jain
Shrimal Jain is an ancient Jain community originally from the Shrimal or Bhinmal town in southern Rajasthan.They mainly reside in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh...
Jains from the same region. However in antiquity, they appear to have been more numerous and among the wealthiest. Many of the most famous Jain temples were built by the Porwads:
- RanakpurRanakpurRanakpur is a village located in Desuri tehsil near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan in western India. It is located between Jodhpur and Udaipur, in a valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range...
Jain temple of Dharna Shah (Finished in 1441 CE) - Vimal VasahiDilwara TemplesThe Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2½ kilometers from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples built by Chalukya between the 11th and 13th centuries AD are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred...
of Vimal Shah (1031 CE) at Mount Abu - Luna VasahiDilwara TemplesThe Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2½ kilometers from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples built by Chalukya between the 11th and 13th centuries AD are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred...
(1231 CE) of Vastupal and Tejpal at Mt Abu - The Adinath temple at ShatrunjayaShatrunjayaThe Palitana Temples of Jainism on Mount Satrunjaya, Palitana, Gujarat are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage places by the Svetambara Jain community. There are 863 temples exquisitely carved in marble located on the hills. This temple-city has been built as an abode for the divine; hence,...
by Javad Shah in 961 AD, later renovated on different occasions.
The term Pragvad refers to a region that eventually was called Mewad. A Kalchuri inscription refers to the Guhilots as ruling the Pragvad region.
The Porvad community became divided into several regional communities including:
- Sorathia (in SaurashtrA)
- Kapola.
- Jangad Porwad
- Porwad (in Nimad Region of madhyapradesh)
Eventually they became independent communities. Some of the groups became a part of the Oswal
Oswal
The 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....
or Navnat communities.
Both Jain traditions, Svetambara
Svetambara
The Śvētāmbara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambar. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked...
and Digambara are represented among different sections of the Porwad community. The historian H.L. Jain has suggested that Krisha, the patron of Muni Srichandra, a Digambara monk belonged to the same family Ninanvaya clan as Vimala who built the Vimala Vasahi temple at Abu. Thus the one branche of the family followed Swetamabra tradition, while other followed Digambara tradition. This suggests the harmonious coexistence to the two Jain traditions in that region.
In the 16th century, Pushti Marga was founded by Vallabha, a Brahmin scholar from Telangana, who proposed that in the modern age, it is too hard to follow the Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Marga
Marga
-Religion:*Marga in Hinduism refers to a way of accomplishing something such as yoga or sadhana*Marga , "path," the Buddhist path to enlightenment-Places:*Marga, Estonia, a village in Estonia...
s. He proposed Pushti Marga (pursuance of worldly luxuries Raga, Bhoga and Shringar) as an alternative. A section of the Porwads has converted to Pushtimarga. Those who have converted to the Pushtimarg are known as Meshri (derived from Maheshwari) or Vania.
Prominent Porwads
- Krisha, the son of Sajjan, a minister of Mularaja, who sponsored composition of Kahakosu by Muni Shrichandra around 1055 AD.
- Mansukhbhai Bhagubhai, founder of Gujarat Spinning and Weaving mill in 1878.