https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sarak_peopleSarak people - Revision history2026-10-28T23:27:38ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sarak_people&diff=533076&oldid=prevWECElbert296866: Created New Stub2026-02-28T17:32:21Z<p>Created New Stub</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{original research|date=September 2021}}<br />
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{{Short description|Bengali Jain ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent}}<br />
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}<br />
{{use Indian English|date=February 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox ethnic group<br />
| group = Sarak<br />
| native_name = সরাক<br />
| native_name_lang =<br />
| image = Sarak Jain.jpg<br />
| image_caption = Sarak Jains celebrating [[Mahavir Jayanti]]<br />
| image_alt =<br />
| total = 34,000-50,000<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.romanpub.com/resources/aajsa-v1-3.pdf |title=Aajsa V1-3 |website=Romanpub.com |access-date=January 28, 2026}}</ref><br />
| total_year = <br />
| total_source = <br />
| total_ref =<br />
| region1 = [[West Bengal]]<br />
| pop1 = 25,000-35,000<br />
| ref1 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Sarak Jati |url=https://jaingpt.org/knowledge/sarak_jati_022859_022859 |website=JainGPT |access-date=2026-01-28}}</ref><br />
|region2 =[[Jharkhand]]<br />
|pop2= 5,000-10,000<br />
|ref2 =<ref>{{cite web |title=AAJSA V1‑3 |url=https://www.romanpub.com/resources/aajsa-v1-3.pdf |website=Romanpub.com |access-date=2026-01-28}}</ref><br />
|region3 = [[Odisha]]<br />
|pop3 = 2,000-5,000<br />
|ref3= <ref>{{cite web |title=AAJSA V1-3 |url=https://www.romanpub.com/resources/aajsa-v1-3.pdf |website=Romanpub.com |access-date=2026-01-28}}</ref><br />
|region4=[[Bihar]]<br />
|pop4=1,000-5,000<br />
|ref4=<ref>{{cite web |title=AAJSA V1-3 |url=https://www.romanpub.com/resources/aajsa-v1-3.pdf |website=Romanpub.com |access-date=2026-01-28}}</ref><br />
|region5= [[Assam]]<br />
|pop5= Unknown<br />
|ref5=<br />
|region6= {{Flag|Bangladesh}}<br />
|pop6= Unknown<br />
|ref6=<br />
| languages = [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Sambalpuri language|Sambalpuri]], [[Bihari languages]]<br />
| religions = [[Jainism]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Jainism}}<br />
'''Saraks''' (from [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] [[Śrāvaka]]) are a [[Jain]] ethnoreligious group found in [[West Bengal]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Odisha]], [[Bihar]], [[Assam]] and [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarak Jati Aur Jain Dharm |author=Tejmal Bothra |url=https://jaingpt.org/knowledge/sarak_jati_aur_jain_dharm_007297_007297 |website=JainGPT |access-date=2026-01-28}}</ref> They have been followers of [[Jainism]], such as vegetarianism, since ancient times, however, were isolated and separated from the main body of the [[Jain community]] in western, northern, and southern India and have been [[Jainism in Bengal|Jain Bengalis]] ever since. The governments of India and West Bengal both have classified some of the Saraks under [[Other Backward Classes]] since 1994 but many of them have been in the General category from the beginning itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anagrasarkalyan.gov.in/htm/obc_list.html |title=Government of West Bengal: List of Other Backward Classes |publisher=Govt. of West Bengal |access-date=December 23, 2011}}</ref><br />
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==History==<br />
[[File:Statue_of_Adinath_at_Pakbirra_Jain_Shrine_of_Purulia_05.jpg|thumb|Lord [[Rishabhanatha|Adinatha]] at Pakbirra]]<br />
[[File:Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 03.jpg|thumb|[[Pakbirra Jain temples]], [[Purulia]] ]]<br />
The Saraks are an ancient community in [[Jharkhand]] and [[Bengal]]. British anthropologist [[Edward Tuite Dalton]] noted that according to the Bhumij tradition in [[Singhbhum]] district, the Saraks were early settlers in the region.<ref name="Ghosh">{{cite book |title=Pashchimbanger Samskriti |trans-title=The Culture of West Bengal |language=bn |last=Ghosh |first=Binay |year=2010 |orig-year=1957 |publisher=Prakash Bhawan |location=Kolkata |edition=2nd |volume=1 |pages=447–449}}</ref> According to Santosh Kumar Kundu, the Saraks arrived from the northwestern region of India, presently in [[Gujarat]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. In the region between the rivers Barakar and Damodar, two democratic republics, Shikharbhum and Panchakot, flourished. Later they merged and came to be known as Shikharbhum, with the capital at [[Garh Panchkot|Panchkot]]. 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> <br />
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The region is called [[Vajjabhumi]] in ancient texts because diamonds were once mined in the region.<ref>[http://purulia.gov.in/district_profile/dist_profile.html Historical Background] ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209215309/http://purulia.gov.in/district_profile/dist_profile.html |date=9 December 2009 }})</ref> The [[Tirthankara]] [[Mahavira]] visited this region according to the [[Kalpasutra (Jainism)|Kalpa Sūtra]].<br />
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==Separation and rediscovery==<br />
[[File:Large Statue of Padmaprabha at Pakbirra 03.jpg|thumb|7.5 feet statue of [[Shitalanatha]], [[Purulia]] ]]<br />
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]].<br />
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Saraks are concentrated in Purulia, Bankura and Burdwan districts of [[West Bengal]] and [[Ranchi]], [[Dumka]] and [[Giridih district]]s and Singhbhum region of [[Jharkhand]]. The Saraks belonging to most of [[Jharkhand]] and [[West Bengal]] are [[Bengali language|Bengali]] speakers while those living in historical Singhbhum region speak Singhbhumi [[Odia language|Odia]]. Educated Saraks speak fluent [[English language|English]].<br />
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In 2009, more than 165 Sarak Jains living in parts of [[West Bengal]], [[Jharkhand]] and [[Bihar]] 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><br />
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==Pakbirra, Purulia Temples and Sculptures==<br />
<gallery> <br />
Statue of couple at Pakbirra.jpg|Divine couple with child, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 51.jpg|Sahasrakuta, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 28.jpg|Miniature shrine, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 25.jpg|Miniature shrine, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
Statues of Adinath - Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 45.jpg|Adinatha Idols<br />
Pakbirra Jain Shrine of Purulia 31.jpg|Miniature shrine, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
Pakbirra- Jain Shrine of Purulia district 29.JPG|Miniature shrine, Pakbirra, Purulia<br />
File:KITLV 88203 - Unknown - Sculptures at Pakbira in British India - 1897.tif|Jain Sculptures at Pakbirra<br />
</gallery><br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Śrāvaka (Jainism)]]<br />
* [[Jainism in Bengal]]<br />
* [[Jainism in Bangladesh]]<br />
* [[Basudih]]<br />
* [[Maji (surname)]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Jainism topics}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Indian Jains]]<br />
[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Jain communities]]<br />
[[Category:Vegetarian communities]]</div>WECElbert296866