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{{Jainism}}
'''Bhabra''' or '''Bhabhra''' is an ethno-linguistic and religious group who are from [[Punjab region]] which follow [[Jainism]].

==History and Origin==
The Bhabra community has had a close historical association with Jainism. It is believed to be connected with the Bhavadar or Bhavada Gachchha to which the legendary Jain [[Acharya]] [[Vikramāditya|Kalakacharya]] belonged to. They may have originated from the Bhabra town (32° 13' 30": 73° 13').<ref>Sarupa-Bharati: Or the Homage of Indology, Being the Dr. Lakshman Sarup ...by Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute - Indic studies - 1953 - Page 247</ref> Inscriptions suggest that Bhavada Gachchha had survived until the 17th century.

Jainism has been present in Punjab since ancient times. This is where [[Alexander the Great]] encountered [[Gymnosophists]] and [[Xuanzang]] met both Digambara and Swetambara monks.<ref>Life and Culture in Ancient India: From the Earliest Times to 1000 A.D. By Bhanwarlal Nathuram Luniya, 1978, Pub.
Lakshmi Narain Agarwal</ref>
According to ''Shatrunjaya Mahatmya'' of Dhaneshwar Suri, Javad Shah of [[Taxila]] had restored [[Shatrunjaya]] Tirth and brought an idol of [[Lord Adinath]] from Taxila and installed it at [[Shatrunjaya]].

Vaar 8 Pauri 12 of 24 of Vaaran [[Bhai Gurdas]] (1550-1620 CE)<ref>[http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=pauripage&vaar=8&pauri=12 Vaar 8 Pauri 12 Castes and working classes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050825170025/http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=pauripage&vaar=8&pauri=12 |date=August 25, 2005 }}</ref> says: "kaytarhiaan hee baaneeay kitarhay bhaabharhiaan suniaaray",<ref>[http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=pauripage&vaar=8&pauri=12 Vaar 8 Pauri 12 of 24 of Vaaran Bhai Gurdas] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050825170025/http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=pauripage&vaar=8&pauri=12 |date=August 25, 2005 }}</ref> there are many traders and many Bhabras are goldsmiths.

In "Romantic Tales from the Punjab" Charles Swynnerton relates a folk tale about several girls. It mentions a girl being a Bhabra, and mentions them being strictly vegetarian.<ref>Romantic Tales from the Punjab, Charles Swynnerton - 1892</ref> In the 17th century, Fray [[Sebastien Manrique]] met them in Amritsar district.<ref>Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique, 1629-1643: A Translation of the ... by Sebastião Manrique, Henry Hosten - Missions - 1927- Page 225</ref> Their presence has been noted in the Mughal period,<ref>The Punjab Under the Mughals by Muhammad Akbar - Punjab (India) - 1948- Page 19</ref> and in the 19th century<ref>Early Nineteenth Century Panjab: From Ganesh Das's Char Bagh-i-Panjab</ref>

The original home region of the Bhabras is now in Pakistan. While all the Bhabras left Pakistani Punjab in 1947, for India. Many cities still have sections named after Bhabras.

* [[Sialkot]]: All the Jains here were Bhabra and mainly lived in Sialkot and Pasrur. The Serai Bhabrian and Bhabrian Wala localities are named after them. There were several Jain temples here before partition of India.
* [[Pasrur]]: Pasrur was developed by a Jain zamindar who was granted land by Raja Maan Singh. [[Baba Dharam Dass]] belonged to the zamindar family who was murdered on a trading visit.<ref>[http://www.pasrur.info/JainDeoka.htm Baba Dharam Dass Tomb in Pasrur]</ref>
* [[Gujranwala]]: Two old Jain libraries managed by Lala Karam Chand Bhabra were present here which were visited by Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar<ref>The two Jain Libraries at Gujranwala by Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar in A Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library of the Deccan College, by Deccan College Library, Franz Kielhorn- 1884 -- Page 12</ref>
* [[Lahore]]: There were Jain temples at localities still called Thari Bhabrian and Gali Bhabrian.* [[Rawalpindi]]: Bhabra Bazar is named after them.

In India they have been present at:

* [[Amritsar]]: Kucha Bhabrian, Katra Bhabrian
* [[Hansi]]: Mohalla bhabran

After 1947 Partition, most of displaced bhabra families were resettled in [[Ludhiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1221387|title=Harking Back: Jain temples of Lahore and the 'naked sages'|date=22 November 2015|publisher=Dawn}}</ref>
In [[Delhi]], the majority of Jains in Rup Nagar area also have their origin in west Punjab.<ref>[https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20080605000236/http://www.soas.ac.uk/jainastudies/newsletter/41864.pdf The Mūrtipūjaka Śvetāmbara Community in North Delhi, Akiko Shimizu, Centre of Jaina Studies Newsletter, Issue 3: February 2008]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Jainism Topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Jainism in Pakistan]]

Bhabra - Revision history

imported>Akbermamps at 03:31, 18 February 2021