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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Porwal
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| population =
| regions = Southern [[Rajasthan]], India
| religions = [[Jainism]], [[Hinduism]]
| languages =
| related_groups = Sorathia, Kapol, Jangad Porwal, Oswal, Navnat, Meshri (Pushtimarga followers)
}}
[[File:Chaumukha Jain temple at Ranakpur in Aravalli range near Udaipur Rajasthan India.jpg|thumb|300x300px|[[Ranakpur Jain temple|Ranakpur Jain Temple]], built by Dharna Shah, a Porwal Jain Businessman from [[Ghanerao]].]]
{{Jainism}}
'''Poravāla''', correctly called '''Poravāḍa''', is a [[Kshatriya]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hassan |first=Syed Siraj ul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lYSd-3yL9h0C&q=porwals&pg=PA498 |title=The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions |date=1989 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0488-9 |language=en}}</ref> community that originated in southern [[Rajasthan]], India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Commissioner |first=India Census |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6YLqhGdh-wC&q=porwals&pg=PA256 |title=Census of India, 1921: Hyderabad (State) |date=1923 |publisher=Superintendent Government Printing |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lavania |first1=B. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vm_KCE4XXPMC&dq=porwal+rajput&pg=PA756 |title=Rajasthan |last2=Samanta |first2=D. K. |date=1998 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-769-2 |language=en}}</ref> They are mainly of [[Jain]] or [[Hindu]] faith. The name Poravāla was applied on the basis of the names of other Bania communities ([[Oswal|Osavāla]], [[Agrawal|Agaravāla]], [[Khandelwal Vaishya|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 [[Vastupala|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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sangave |first=Vilas Adinath |title=Jain Community: A Social Survey |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=1980 |pages=88–89 |orig-date=1959}}</ref>

They originated from a region east of ancient [[Shrimal]].<ref name="Bhanu2004">{{cite book|author=Anthropological Survey of India|editor=K. S. Singh|title=People of India: Maharashtra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bfmnmsBfQ4C&pg=PA1738|year=2004|publisher=Popular Prakashan|location=Mumbai, India|isbn=978-81-7991-102-0|page=1738}}</ref> In antiquity, they appear to be numerous and among the wealthiest communities in the region.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Many Jain temples were built by the Porwals, including:
* [[Ranakpur]] Jain temple of Dharna Shah, completed in 1441 CE<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=57396 |title=Dharna Shah and Construction of the Temple |publisher=Herenow4u.net |date= |accessdate=2012-04-22}}</ref>
* [[Dilwara Temples|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.<ref name=":0" />

Poravāḍa Jains are mostly [[Śvētāmbara|Śvetāmbara]] with some [[Digambar|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.<ref name="Muni Srichandra's Kahakosu 1969">Muni Srichandra's Kahakosu, Prakrit Text Society, 1969, H.L. Jain editor</ref><ref name=":0" />

In the 16th century, [[Pushtimarg|Pushti Marga]] was founded by [[Vallabha]], a Brahmin scholar from [[Telangana Region|Telangana]], who proposed that in the modern age, it is too hard to follow the [[Jñāna|Jnana]] and [[Karma in Hinduism|Karma]] [[Marga (Indian Philosophy)|Margs]]. He proposed Pushti Marga ([[Raga (Sanskrit term)|Raag]], [[Bhog]] and [[Sringara|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]])<ref>The Eighteenth-Century Social Order in Surat: A Reply and an Excursus on the Riots of 1788 and 1795, by Lakshmi Subramanian, Modern Asian Studies, 1991, p. 321-365</ref> or Vania.

== Creation of the ''Prāgvat'' (''Porvāl'') Clan ==
After his sermons at ''[[Bhinmal|Śrīmal]]'' and creation of the ''Śrīmali'' clan'','' householders and King Jayasen requested [[Śvetāmbara]] Jain monk [[Swayamprabhasuri|Acharya Swayamprabhasuri]] to visit the region of ''Padmavati'' near [[Aravalli Range]] since similar practices of [[Animal sacrifice in Hinduism|animal sacrifice]] were being performed there. He agreed to it and owing to his ''labdhi'' and ''vidyā'', reached ''Padmavati'' within a period of 48 minutes the morning of when the [[Ashvamedha|''Ashvamedha Yagya'']] was scheduled to be performed. He entered the king's court.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Maharaja |first=Gyansundar |title=Oswal Porwal Aur Shreemal Jatiyo Ka Sachitra Prachin Itihas |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/034569/15 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Baya |first=D S |title=Oswals and Other Jains of Rajasthan |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/250235/2 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref>

Since this was a while after Swayamprabhsuri's sermons in ''[[Bhinmal|Śrīmal]],'' [[Brahmin]]s stated that they knew of his sermons at ''[[Bhinmal|Śrīmal]]'' and that they would not accept his ideology. Swayamprabhasuri emphasized the importance of a ''bhāv yagya'' ([[Homa (ritual)|''Homa'']] performed mentally and not physically) to prevent [[Animal sacrifice in Hinduism|animal sacrifice]]. He further explained with the analogy that with [[Karma in Jainism|''karma'']] as the wood and non-violence as the sacrifice, one purifies their soul and becomes eligible for ''[[moksha]]''. He further explained the meaning of the ''[[Ratnatraya]]''.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Jain |first=Bhupraj |title=Jain Vidyalaya Granth |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/012030/281 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref>
[[File:Swayamprabhasuri_converts_Padmavati_town.png|center|thumb|360x360px|Swayamprabhasuri delivering a sermon in the court of King Padmasena of Padmavati]]
[[Brahmin]]s lost the ensuing debate, and the residents of 45000 households of the kingdom and King Padmasena accepted [[Jainism]]. However, as a token of respect to the [[Brahmin]]s, the name of the newly established caste was decided to be ''Prāgvat'' as the [[Brahmin]]s who lost were ''Prāgvata Brahmins''. Later on, the clan came to be known as ''Porvāl.''<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hooja |first=Rima |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ&q=swayamprabha%20suri%20shrimal%20-wikipedia |title=A History of Rajasthan |date=2006 |publisher=Rupa & Company |isbn=978-81-291-0890-6 |language=en}}</ref>

It is further stated that he consecrated a temple and an idol of the 16th Tirthankara [[Shantinatha]] at ''Padmavati'' among several temples and icons he consecrated at various villages and towns surrounding ''Padmavati''.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Somani |first=Ramvallabh |title=Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan |url=https://jainqq.org/explore/001596/68 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=jainqq.org}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Jainism in Rajasthan]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Rajasthan}}

[[Category:Indian Jains]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:Bania communities]]
[[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Social groups of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:People from Jalore district]]
[[Category:Hindu communities]]
[[Category:Marwari people]]

Porwal - Revision history

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