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The Working Model
But unfortunately nobody has furnished exact information about the number and geographical distribution of his caste people. It appears that the caste organisations have not as yet paid any attention to this matter. However, from the replies, which did mention the approximate population of the castes concerned, it may be stated that only a few castes claim a strength of more than 50,000 and the rest are very small ones. The Osavāla, Śrīmālī and Poravada castes among the Svetämbaras and the Agravala, Khandelavāla, Paravāra, Hummaḍa, Chaturtha, Pañchama and Saitavāla castes among the Digambaras possess more than 50,000 members each. The remaining castes are small ones. There is a large numberof castes like Pallīvāla, Bagheravāla, Dhakaḍa and Narasingapurā among the Digam baras and Nema, Mesarī Bhāvasara and Bavanagāma Bhāvasara among the Svetām baras whose members number about 5,000 each. It is surprising to find that still there are Jaina castes having a population of less than 1,000. According to the statements of their own members the approximate population of castes like Bannore and Nevi among the Digam baras and Levä Pātīdāra among the Svetam baras is about 1,000 each and Budhelanvayi and Kaṭhanera among the Digambaras only about 900 and 300 respectively. Thus there is not only a large number of castes in a small community but also the strength of their members is very uneven in the sense that while there are only a few castes having a somewhat decent number of members, the many remaining castes possess an undoubtedly meagre number of population.
As regards the geographical distribution of the Jaina castes it can be said from the replies that even though representatives of many Jaina castes are found, for obvious reasons, in practically all big cities and commercial centres, still different castes are located in different parts of the country. In general the Svetambara castes are concentrated in Gujaratha, Kathiawar and Rajputana while the Digambara castes are spread all over India. Thus among the Svetām baras the castes like Śrīmālī, Osavāla, Poravāḍa, Nemā, Bhāvasara, Levā Pāṭīdāra, etc. are found mainly in Gujaratha, Kathiawar and Rajputana; among the Digambaras the castes like Agravala, Khandelavala, Jaisavala, and Buḍhelānvayi. are found mainly in the Uttar Pradesh and Rajputana; the Paravāra, Pallīvāla, Kaṭbanera, Golāpūrva, Bagheravala, Bannore, Nevi and Dhakada in the Madhya Pradesh; the Saitavala, Chaturtra,
