| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Southern Rajasthan, India | |
| Religion | |
| Jainism, Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sorathia, Kapol, Jangad Porwal, Oswal, Navnat, Meshri (Pushtimarga followers) |
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| Jainism |
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Poravāla, correctly called Poravāḍa, is a Bania community that originated in southern Rajasthan, India. They are mainly of Jain or Hindu faith. The name Poravāla was applied on the basis of the names of other Bania communities (Osavāla, Agaravāla, Khaṇḍelavāla, etc.).
The name Poravāḍa is derived from Prāgavaṭa. The caste is divided into 24 gotras. They are also divided into three sections (from highest to lowest status): Visā, Dasā and Pañcā Poravāḍas. According to tradition the Visā and Dasā divisions arose in the 13th century. The brothers Vastupāla and Tejapāla were the sons of Poravāḍa father and Śrīmāli mother. The Poravādas who chose to eat with the brothers became Dasā, and those who refused became Visā. The Visā and Dasā interdine but do not intermarry. The Visās tend to be Jain while Dasā's tend to be Vaishnav. Formerly interreligious marriages occurred between Jains and Vaishnavs of the same sub-caste.[1]
They originated from a region east of ancient Shrimal.[2] In antiquity, they appear to be numerous and among the wealthiest communities in the region.[citation needed]
Many Jain temples were built by the Porwals, including:
- Ranakpur Jain temple of Dharna Shah, completed in 1441 CE [3]
- Luna Vasahi (1231 CE) of Vastupal and Tejpal at Mount Abu
- The Adinath temple at Shatrunjaya by Javad Shah in 961 AD, which was subsequently renovated several times.
The Porwal community became divided into several regional communities including the Pure Poravāḍas, Soraṭhiya Poravāḍas, and Kapola Poravāḍas.[1]
Poravāḍa Jains are mostly Śvetāmbara with some Digaṁbaras. The historian H. L. Jain has suggested that Krisha, the patron of Muni Srichandra, a Digambara monk, belonged to the same Ninanvaya clan as Vimala who built the Vimala Vasahi temple at Abu.[4][1]
In the 16th century, Pushti Marga was founded by Vallabha, a Brahmin scholar from Telangana, who proposed that in the modern age, it is too hard to follow the Jnana and Karma Margs. He proposed Pushti Marga (Raag, Bhog and Shringar used in the seva of Shri Krishna) as an alternative. A section of the Porwals converted to Pushtimarga. Those who have converted to the Pushtimarg are known as Meshri (derived from Maheshwari)[5] or Vania.