________________
300
Jaina Community - A Social Survey
The Svetāmbaras, excepting a few, have mentioned the following Gachchnas to which they belong: Tapā, Vijaya-Tapā, BrhatTapā, Lonkā, Añchala and Kharatara. The names of the Svetambara Gachchhas referred to in their books are one hundred and thirteen12 but it appears that only few are prevalent among the Śvetāmbaras at present. So far as Sthānakavāšīs are concerned it seems from their replies that a majority of them do not know Gachchha system. The names of two Gachchhas only have been mentioned by them, namely, Lorkā Gachchha and Upakesa Gachchha. On the contrary they have mentioned that they follow Limbadi Sampradaya and Bavīsa Sampradaya, the two comparatively new religious divisions, instead of the Gachchha system.
7. THE CASTES AND SUB-CASTES The questions from numbers 7 to 28 dealt with the institution of caste and allied matters. The question number 7 was concerned with the names of castes and sub-castes. We have already noted13 that the Jaina castes are many in number and this is also shown from the replies received. The 154 replies mention not less than 30 castes and sub-castes. If we co-relate the castes and sects, it will be found that the Digambaras possess a preponderantly large number of castes than the Svetāmbaras. Out of the above 30 castes as many as 23 are referred to by the Digambaras and only 7 by the Śvetāmbaras. Further, the Digambaras and Svetāmbaras have distinct castes of their own and excepting the Agravāla caste no other caste is common to both the sections. On the basis of the names of castes given by the Digambara and Svetämbara Jaina Directories we have already stated that only Osavāla, Poravāda, Hummada, Narasingpurā and Nema castes are found in both the sections14 and now the name of Agravāla caste will have to be added to this list.
8. POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF CASTES The exact figures regarding the total population of Jaina castes and their distribution all over India are not available. As many Jaina castes have their organisations of an All India characterfor example, Akhila Bharatiya Paravāra Jaina Mahasabha, Akhila Bharatiya Saitavāla Jaina Mahasabhā, etc., it was thought that they might be having definite information on the above points. With a view to get this information the question No. 8 was asked.
