Balai Explained

The Balai, Raj Balai, Balahi Bunkar, or Sutarkar are found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in India.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Balai as weavers

Balai is a transliteration of the Hindi word . The word means weaving.^{[4] [5]} Weaving is the traditional occupation of Balais.^[6]

According to Hindu texts, all weavers in Hinduism are the descendants of Rishi Mrikanda.^[7] Mrikanda is known as the father of modern weaving.

Bunkar is a subgroup of the caste of Balai. They belong to the vaishya caste. They work in weaving or selling.^[8]

Jain Shravak Sangha preached to the Balai community in 1964, near Ratlam, in the village Guradia. Jain Shravak Sangha gave Dharampal Jain Samaj to the Balai community, in the name of Dharmanatha. About 1.25 lakh people of the Malviya and Gujarati Balai communities are Dharampal Jains.^{[9] [10]}

Raj Balai

Historically, the Raj Balais were royal messengers. They used to convey messages from one kingdom to another kingdom in ancient times. Raj means royal, therefore the Balais who was engaged in such royal services called Raj Balais.

Beliefs

Balai are Hindus by religion. They are devotees of Maa Durga, Maa Chamunda and Maa Kalaratri.^[11] They also pay tribute to Baba Ramdeo Ji and consider Kalarati as their kuldevi.^[12] Balais do not marry in their families or within their gotra.^[13] Balais are divided into a number of gotras such as Chouhan, Rathore, Parihar, Parmar, Solanki, Marichi, Atri, August, Bhardwaj, Matang, Dhaneshwar, Mahachand, Jogchand, Jogpal, Meghpal, Garva and Jaipal.^[14] They live in multi-caste villages in their own areas and bury their dead.^[15]

Balais are traditionally non-vegetarian as they believe in bali (animal sacrifice). Animal sacrifice is the part of worshiping Maa Durga and Kalaratri.^[16]

Population

According to the 2011 census of India, there are 2,668,000 Balais in India.^[17]

Language

Balais speak languages including Nimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati.^[18]

Other

Sometimes, Balai is referred to as Julaha and Meghwal.^[19] Originally, most Balais associated themselves with the Meghwal community.^{[20] [21]}

Notes and References

1. Book: Nesfield, John Collinson . Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885 . 1885 . North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press . en.
2. Book: Singh, K. S. . Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles . 1996 . Anthropological Survey of India . 978-0-19-563357-3 . en.
3. Book: General, India Office of the Registrar . Census of India, 1961 . 1962 . Manager of Publications . 14 . en.
4. Book: Mayer, Adrian . Caste and Kinship in Central India: A Village and its Region . 2023-07-28 . Univ of California Press . 978-0-520-31349-1 . en.
5. Book: Nesfield, John Collinson . Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885 . 1885 . North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press . en.
6. Book: Cittauṛagaṛha . 1994 . Javāhara Kalā Kendra . hi.
7. Web site: 2019-07-02 . The Powerful Bhrigu Rishi . 2023-11-26 . Glorious Hinduism . en-US.
8. Web site: 9. Caste System in Ancient India . Florida State College at Jacksonville Pressbooks.
9. Web site: hi:जैन संत की प्रेरणा से देशभर में मालवीय और गुजराती बलाई समाज के सवा लाख लोगों ने छोड़ा दुर्व्यसन . bhaskar.com.
10. Book: Śānti (Muni.) . Antarpatha ke yātrī Ācārya Śrī Nāneśa . 1982 . Śrī A. Bhā. Sādhumārgī Jaina Saṅgha . hi.
11. Web site: Hinduism Basics . 2023-12-31 . Hindu American Foundation . en-US.
12. Book: Singh, K. S. . People of India: Rajasthan (2 pts.) . 1998 . Popular Prakashan . 978-81-7154-766-1 . en.
13. Web site: Hinduism Doctrine and Beliefs . 2023-12-31 . Hindu Council of Australia . en-US.
14. Web site: Bhartiya . Ranjeet . 2023-07-25 . hi:बलाई समाज गोत्र,सामाजिक संरचना में गोत्रों की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका है . 2024-04-04 . Jankari Today . en-GB.
15. Web site: Naik . Shambhavi . 2020-02-08 . The scientific argument for marrying outside your caste . 2023-12-01 . ThePrint . en-US.
16. Web site: 2021-06-29 . 7. Religious practices . 2023-12-01 . Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project . en-US.
17. Web site: 2020-10-31 . Census of India 2011: Population, Literacy, Density, Sex Ratio and other information . 2024-02-09 . Education for All in India . en.
18. Web site: Regional Languages . 2023-11-28 . Legislative Department of India . en-US.
19. Book: Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of . House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: Bills . 1900 . H.M. Stationery Office . en.
20. Book: Snodgrass, Jeffrey G. . Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity . 2006-08-10 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-804140-5 . en.
21. Book: Singh, Kumar Suresh . People of India: India's communities . 1998 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-563354-2 . en.