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The Working Model
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Further, the Jainas being mainly a commercial community know the languages of adjacent regions in addition to the language of the region in which they reside. Thus the Jainas from Gujarātha know Gujarāthi and Hindi or Marāthi, from North India Hindi and Urdū, from Central India Hindi and Gujarāthi or Marāthi, from Karnāțaka Kannada and Marāthi or Tamil, and from Mahārāshția Marāthi and Gujarāthi or Kannada. From this it appears that the Jainas residing in North India, Gujarātha and Central India know Hindi and a majoriry of Jainas is concentrated in these parts. It will be noted from the replies that many Jainas from Mahārāshtra, Karnataka and South India have stated that they know Hindi also. This means that, if constant efforts are made. Hindi can become a common language of the Jaina community. Moreover, most of the persons who have sent their replies are educated on modern lines and hence they know English also. Some of these persons are research scholars and naturally they, according to their own statement, can read, write and speak in six or seven languages out of the languages mentioned below :English, Hindi, Gujarāthi, Marāthī, Kannada. Bangāli, Puñjābi, Urdū, Tulu, Tāmil, Sanskrit. Ardhamāgadhi, Pāli, Persian, French and German.
37. SACRED THREAD It has already been noted that the custom of wearing a sacred thread is not prevalent among all Jainas in different parts of India and that wherever it is prevalent, there is a great diversity in the practice of wearing it.28 With a view to ascertain the present position in the matter the question number 39 was asked. From the replies it will be observed that the custom appears to be prevalent only among the Digambara Jainas. Not even a single Svetāṁbara Jaina is said to be observing this custom. Further, the custom is no doubt peculiar to Digambara Jainas but even among the Digambara Jainas it is widely observed in certain parts of the country only- especially in Mahārāshtra, Karnātaka and South India. All the important native Digambara Jaina castes of these parts, namely, Saitavāla, Chaturtha, Pañchama, Bogāra, Upādhyāya, Vaisya and Kshatriya, invariably observe this custom and even many members of the Hummada caste who are settled in these parts are also found observing the custom. The fact that the custom of wearing sacred thread among the Digambara Jainas
