Jainism in Bengal

Archaeological evidence shows Jainism was a significant religion in Bengal during the early historic period.^[1]

Sarak

Saraks are a Jain community in Bihar, Bengal, 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.^[2] The Saraks were agriculturists and moneylenders having landed properties.

They have continued to remain vegetarian even though this practice is uncommon among other communities in the region. Saraks have Parshva as a favored patron and recite the Ṇamōkāra mantra. The 24th Tirthankara Mahavira visited this region according to the 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 Bundelkhand Jains was reestablished when the 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.^[3]

Population

Population by district

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

Jains in West Bengal by district (2011)^[4]

#	District	Total population	Jain population	%
1	Kolkata	4,496,694	21,178	0.47%
2	Haora	4,850,029	9,699	0.20%
3	North 24 Parganas	10,009,781	4,452	0.04%
4	Puruliya	2,930,115	3,052	0.10%
5	Murshidabad	7,103,807	3,037	0.04%
6	Bankura	3,596,674	2,904	0.08%
7	Hugli	5,519,145	2,160	0.04%
8	Koch Bihar	2,819,086	1,869	0.07%
9	Darjiling	1,846,823	1,840	0.10%
10	Barddhaman	7,717,563	1,674	0.02%
11	Paschim Medinipur	5,913,457	1,550	0.03%
12	Jalpaiguri	3,872,846	1,461	0.04%
13	Uttar Dinajpur	3,007,134	1,324	0.04%
14	Birbhum	3,502,404	1,152	0.03%
15	South 24 Parganas	8,161,961	972	0.01%
16	Maldah	3,988,845	639	0.02%
17	Purba Medinipur	5,095,875	574	0.01%
18	Dakshin Dinajpur	1,676,276	323	0.02%
19	Nadia	5,167,600	281	0.01%
	West Bengal (Total)	91,276,115	60,141	0.07%

Trends

Trends in Jain population of West Bengal^[5]

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

• 
  Pakbirra Jain temple, Purulia
• 
  Large Statue of Shitalanatha at Pakbirra
• 
  Jain temple in Pakbirra
• 
  Jain idol, Pakbirra
• 
  Shitalanatha Temple, Kolkata
• 
  The Parshwanath Temple, Calcutta
• 
  Adinath Temple, Kathgola
• 
  The Parshwanath Temple, Gouribari
• 
  Shitalnath Bhagwan Temple, Badridas Temple Street, Kolkata
• 
  Chandraprabhu Temple, Badridas Temple Street, Kolkata
• 
  Belgachhia Pareshnath Mandir
• 
  Dadabari, Badridas Temple Street, Kolkata

See also

• Jain community
• Sarak
• Basudih

References

1. Bibliography PC Bagchi, 'Development of Religious Ideas' in RC Majumdar (ed), History of Bengal, Vol-1, Dacca, 1968 (2nd edn);
2. Kundu, Santosh Kumar (2008). Bangali Hindu Jati Parichay [An Introduction of Bengali Hindu Castes] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Presidency Library. pp. 273–275. ISBN 978-81-89466-13-8.
3. "> News Updates". Www.Jainheritagecentres.Com. 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
4. Population by religious community: West Bengal. 2011 Census of India.
5. B.P. Syam Roy (28 September 2015). "Bengal's topsy-turvy population growth". The Statesman.