________________
Chapter 15. The Origin of Halari Visa Oshwal Gotras
85
Malde: King Rawat Hamirji Parmar ruler of Ratanpur in Rajasthan near Bhinmal had a son named Jesangde who disappeared without any trace, possibly kidnapped. Jaina acharya Rakshit Suri was visiting Ranakpur at that time. The king came to pay his respects to Suriji and begged him to find his missing son. Through his mystical power the acharya found the king's son Jesangde and bestowed on him special powers with which he could cure a sick person just by touching that person. Because of these powers he was called Maldev. His descendants became Maldevs, which in time evolved to Malde. They migrated to Cutch and settled down in Nani Khakhar. Some of them accompanied Jam Rawal to Saurastra and settled down in the village of Motatoda. Later on their descendants moved to Rafudad. Their names were: Asho, Karamshi, Hemo, Natho, Gosar, Hirji, Suro and Adho. Adho remarried in 1789 V.S. and moved to Daltungi. Because he remarried, which was against the rules of community, he was thrown out of the community and demoted from Visa to Dasa.
Nagda: Rawal Mohansinh was king of Umarkot in Thar Parkar region. Jaina acharya Jaisinh Suri converted him to Jainism. He had five sons; the fifth son's name was Nag from his name the Nagda gotra was established. The descendants of Nagda gotra Dhandat Seth of Bhinmal came and settled down in Halar. They were known as Laghu Nagda. Their descendants lived in Jaspur, Jakkhau, Sandhan, Niliya, Sanya, Punjar and other villages of Cutchh. Bhoja Shah, a great philanthropist was a descendant of Mohansinh. In 1595 on the invitation of Jam Rawal he moved to Jamnagar and settled down there. He was well respected by Jam Rawal. His son Tejshi Shah built a magnificent temple to Lord Shantinath. Raishi and Narshi Shah, sons of Tejshi, added fifty-two shrines around the temple. Later on they built three more temples with quadruple images (chaumukha) facing the four directions installed in them. Many other famous people have born in this Nagda family.
