________________
The Working Model
309
after the death of a person, though practised by many Jaina castes. all over India, is against the tenets of Jainism. That is why with the general awakening of Jainas in recent times the death feasts are not only becoming rare but also are completely discontinued by many castes, at several places. The popularity of caste feasts as such is dwindling and no regular caste feasts are given. When the feasts are given, nowadays there is a tendency to limit it to one friendly circle and relatives instead of inviting all members of the caste. Even this has stopped due to the introduction of rationing of food. Thus from the last few years the caste feasts are not given at all.
13. JAINA AND HINDU CASTES 1. As the Jainas, Hindus and others are living side by side in this country from the last so many centuries and as the proselytising activities were formerly carried on with zeal and vigour by Jainism, Hinduism or other religions, it is likely that certain social relations may exist between the Jaina community and other communities through the agency of some social institutions. To ascertain the nature of such relations coming under the system of castes question number 14 was asked, and from the replies it may be noted that among both Digambaras and Śvetāmbaras there are castes all over India which are found in other communities also but there are practically no relations, either of food or of marriage, with them. In North India the castes of Agravāla, Khandelavāla and Jaisavāla are found among the Hindus—and especially among · the Vaishnavas-but only Agravālas maintain inter-marital relations and the Jaina Khandelavālas and Jaisavālas have no relations at all with the Vaishnava Khandelavālas and Jaisavā las. It is stated that even the gotras of Hindu Khandelavālas are different from those of the Jaina Khandelavālas. In Madhya Pradesh Bagheravāla (or Lada ), Pallīvāla and Golāpūrva castes are seen among Vaishnava Hindus and Jainas but there is a complete absence of relation between them. In Western India the Dasā Śrīmālī caste is found among Śvetām bara and Sthānakavāsī sub-sects of Jainism and among Saiva, Vaishnava and Svāmīnārāyaṇa subsects of Hindusim, but it is mentioned that though forty years back marriages used to take place freely between the Dasā Srīmālīs irrespective of the sect to which they belonged, the position is not
