________________
The Working Model
303
caste or the sub-caste, as the case may be, is considered as a strict endogamous group. Thus even the very small castes like Kathanera, Budhelānvayi and Nevi among the Digambaras and the Levā Patidara and Mesari Bhāvasāra among the Śvetām baras do not maintain marital relations with the other Jaina castes. Along with the sub-caste a further restriction of geographical locality is generally taken into account. This is observed more meticulously by the Svetam baras than by the Digambaras. Among the Digambaras ti ere is no rule as such that the members of a particular subcaste residing in a certain locality alone should marry among themselves, but this is observed for all practical purposes because the members of a sub-caste are spread over a vast area. As the Dasā Hummadas and Visā Hummadas are found in Rājasthāna, Gujaratha and Mahārashtra naturally there are practically no marital relations between the Dasā or Visā Hummadas of these regions. The same is the case with the Saitavālas of the Western Mahārāshtra and those of Vidarbha. On the contrary it has been specifically laid down by the Svetāmbaras that marriages should be contracted between the persons of a sub-caste residing in a particular locality only. Such a locality is called a 'ghola' and along with the sub-caste the ghola' is also taken into account for the purpose of marital relations. This rule is strictly enforced; and at times a girl can be brought from outside the 'ghola' but in no case a girl can be given outside the ' ghola 'to which she belongs. Thus the Visa Śrimālīs of Gohilavāda ( which is a district in Kathiavāda ) or the Visā Osavālas of Cutch marry among themselves only. A further complication arises, in this arrangement because of the fact that the members of a sub-caste or a caste belong to different sects of the same religion or to different religions altogetner. In such cases marriages are freely contracted between the persons of a particular sub-caste and a' ghola' even though they are the followers of different sects or religions. In spite of this freedom, a preference is always given to a marriage between the persons of the same sect or religion. Thus the Dasā Srimālis of Zālāvāda - a district in Käthiavāda — are divided into the Murtipū jaka Svetām bara Jainas, Sthānakavāsī Śvetāmbara Jainas and Vaishnavas and irrespective of the fact that marriages can take place between the Zālāvādi Dasā śrīmālīs of any sect or religion, marriages between these members of one sect or religion are defini
