>Citation bot at 05:51, 18 March 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
'''{{Use Indian English|date=August 2017}}'''
[[File:Sheetalnath Mandir full view.jpg|thumb|[[Calcutta Jain Temple]] ]]
{{Jainism}}
Archaeological evidence shows Jainism was a significant religion in Bengal during the early historic period.<ref>Bibliography PC Bagchi, 'Development of Religious Ideas' in RC Majumdar (ed), History of Bengal, Vol-1, Dacca, 1968 (2nd edn);</ref>

==Sarak==
{{Main|Sarak}}
Saraks are a Jain community in [[Bihar]], [[Bengal]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] and [[Jharkhand]]. They have been followers of [[Jainism]] since ancient times; however, they were isolated and separated from the main body of the [[Jain community]] in western, northern and southern India.

According to Ramesh Chandra Majumder, the Jain scholar [[Bhadrabahu]], the second Louhacharya and the author of Kalpa Sutra may have come from the Sarak community.<ref name="kundu">{{cite book |title=Bangali Hindu Jati Parichay |trans-title=An Introduction of Bengali Hindu Castes |language=bn |last=Kundu |first=Santosh Kumar |year=2008 |publisher=Presidency Library |location=Kolkata |isbn=978-81-89466-13-8 |pages=273–275}}</ref> The Saraks were agriculturists and moneylenders having landed properties.

They have continued to remain [[Jain vegetarianism|vegetarian]] even though this practice is uncommon among other communities in the region. Saraks have [[Parshva]] as a favored patron and recite the [[Namokar Mantra|Ṇamōkāra mantra]]. The 24th [[Tirthankara]] [[Mahavira]] visited this region according to the [[Kalpasutra (Jainism)|Kalpa Sūtra]].

The Saraks lost contact with Jains in the rest of India after its conquest by [[Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji]]. Contact with the Digambara [[Jainism in Bundelkhand|Bundelkhand Jains]] was reestablished when the [[Parwar (Jain)|Parwars]] Manju Chaudhary (1720–1785) was appointed the governor of [[Cuttack]] by the [[Maratha Empire]].

In 2009, more than 165 Sarak Jains living in parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand visited the ancient Jain pilgrimage center of [[Shravanabelagola]]. A special function to welcome the Sarak Jains was organised at Shravanabelagola.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jainheritagecentres.com/News/2009/09-Sept/02_News_Updates_001.htm |title=> News Updates |publisher=Www.Jainheritagecentres.Com |date=2009-09-02 |access-date=2012-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223043115/http://www.jainheritagecentres.com/News/2009/09-Sept/02_News_Updates_001.htm |archive-date=23 December 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

== Population ==

=== Population by district ===

Most of the Bengali Jains now live in the Indian state of [[West Bengal]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Jains in West Bengal by district (2011)<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW19C-01%20MDDS.XLS Population by religious community: West Bengal]. 2011 Census of India.</ref>
! # || District || Total population || Jain population || %
|-
| 1 || [[Kolkata district|Kolkata]] || 4,496,694 || 21,178 || 0.47%
|-
| 2 || [[Haora district|Haora]] || 4,850,029 || 9,699 || 0.20%
|-
| 3 || [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]] || 10,009,781 || 4,452 || 0.04%
|-
| 4 || [[Puruliya district|Puruliya]] || 2,930,115 || 3,052 || 0.10%
|-
| 5 || [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] || 7,103,807 || 3,037 || 0.04%
|-
| 6 || || 3,596,674 || 2,904 || 0.08%
|-
| 7 || [[Hugli district|Hugli]] || 5,519,145 || 2,160 || 0.04%
|-
| 8 || [[Koch Bihar district|Koch Bihar]] || 2,819,086 || 1,869 || 0.07%
|-
| 9 || [[Darjiling district|Darjiling]] || 1,846,823 || 1,840 || 0.10%
|-
| 10 || [[Barddhaman district|Barddhaman]] || 7,717,563 || 1,674 || 0.02%
|-
| 11 || [[Paschim Medinipur district|Paschim Medinipur]] || 5,913,457 || 1,550 || 0.03%
|-
| 12 || [[Jalpaiguri district|Jalpaiguri]] || 3,872,846 || 1,461 || 0.04%
|-
| 13 || [[Uttar Dinajpur district|Uttar Dinajpur]] || 3,007,134 || 1,324 || 0.04%
|-
| 14 || [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] || 3,502,404 || 1,152 || 0.03%
|-
| 15 || [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]] || 8,161,961 || 972 || 0.01%
|-
| 16 || [[Maldah district|Maldah]] || 3,988,845 || 639 || 0.02%
|-
| 17 || [[Purba Medinipur district|Purba Medinipur]] || 5,095,875 || 574 || 0.01%
|-
| 18 || [[Dakshin Dinajpur district|Dakshin Dinajpur]] || 1,676,276 || 323 || 0.02%
|-
| 19 || [[Nadia district|Nadia]] || 5,167,600 || 281 || 0.01%
|-
| || '''West Bengal''' (Total) || 91,276,115 || 60,141 || 0.07%
|}

=== Trends ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trends in Jain population of West Bengal<ref name="BPSR_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/bengal-s-topsy-turvy-population-growth/93152.html |title=Bengal's topsy-turvy population growth |author=B.P. Syam Roy |newspaper=The Statesman |date=28 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910125228/http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/bengal-s-topsy-turvy-population-growth/93152.html |archive-date=10 September 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
! Census year
! % of total population
|-
| 1951 || 0.08%
|-
| 1961 || 0.08%
|-
| 1971 || 0.07%
|-
| 1981 || 0.07%
|-
| 1991 || 0.05%
|-
| 2001 || 0.07%
|-
| 2011 || 0.06%
|}

== Temples ==
<gallery>
File:Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 04.jpg|[[Pakbirra Jain temples]], [[Purulia district|Purulia]]
File:Belgachhia Pareshnath Mandir (1).jpg|[[Belgachia#Jain Temple|Belgachhia Pareshnath Mandir]]
File:Sat Deul 6.jpg|[[Sat Deul]], Deulia
File:Deul at Banda, Purulia WLM2016-0207.jpg|Banda Jain temple
File:Stone Deul at Charara.jpg|Deul at Charara
File:Deulbhira Taldangra block (05).jpg|Parshvanatha temple, Deulbhira
File:Deul of Harmashra (28).jpg|[[Harmasra#Culture|Harmasra Jain temple]]
File:Deul of Dharapat (03).jpg|Deul at Dharapat
File:Barabazar Swetambar Jain Temple entrance view at Kolkata.jpg|Panchayati Temple, Bara Bazar
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Jainism in Bengal}}
{{Portal|Religion|India}}
*[[Jain community]]
* [[Sarak]]
* [[Basudih]]

==Re==
{{Reflist}}

{{Jain centres in West Bengal}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jainism In Bengal}}
[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:Jainism in India]]
[[Category:History of West Bengal]]

Jainism in Bengal - Revision history

>Citation bot at 05:51, 18 March 2021