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Jaina Community-A Social Survey
that the Digambaras and Svetām baras should marry among themselves only. As a step in this direction it is suggested that in the first instance there should be marriages between the sub-castes and then between the castes found in a particular locality. In this light it is pointed out that as a first step the Bagheravāla, Bannore, Gangeravala, Nevi, Dhakaḍa and Paravara castes of Digambara Jainas from Central India should combine for purposes of marriage.
Thus in general it appears that the Jainas seem to accept inter-caste marriages in the beginning among the various Digambara castes or among the various Svetambara castes of a region and not between the Digambara and Svetämbara castes.
15. CASTES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
It is evident that the Jaina community has been divided into a large number of castes and sub-castes and that the latter have been further sub-divided on the basis of sect or sub-sect and locality. As these divisions and sub-divisions are generally endogamous groups, there are very few chances left for the various castes and sub-castes to have closer relations among themselves. This has created a gulf between the castes or sub-castes and it is necessary to find out whether there are other agencies which perpetuate and, if possible, widen the distance between these castes or sub-castes. That is why the question number 16 was asked to get information regarding the several types of charitable institutions which are exclusively reserved for the members of a particular caste or sub-caste. From the replies it will be noticed that the Jainas are conducting charitable institutions for the benefit of members of a certain caste or sub-caste who follow a particular sect or subsect and who reside in or come from some fixed locality. Among such institutions the foremost place will have to be accorded to the Scholarship Funds, Funds for the relief of the poor and the destitutes and Housing Societies and a secondary place to the Students' Boarding Houses, which are generaly reserved for members of a particular sect or sub-sect rather than for those of a caste or sub-caste.
Though the institutions of reserved type had been started by both the Digambara and Svetambara castes, like Cutchi Visā Osavala, Cutchi Dasa Osavāla, Visā Śrimāli, Dasā Śrimāli Svetām
