| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| SouthernRajasthan, India | |
| Religion | |
| Jainism,Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sorathia, Kapol, Jangad Porwal, Oswal, Navnat, Meshri (Pushtimarga followers) |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
|---|
 |
Ethics Ethics of Jainism
|
Major sects |
Poravāla, correctly calledPoravāḍa, is aKshatriya[1] community that originated in southernRajasthan, India.[2][3] They are mainly ofJain orHindu 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 brothersVastupāla 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.[4]
They originated from a region east of ancientShrimal.[5] 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:
The Porwal community became divided into several regional communities including the Pure Poravāḍas, Soraṭhiya Poravāḍas, and Kapola Poravāḍas.[4]
Poravāḍa Jains are mostlyŚvetāmbara with someDigaṁbaras. 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.[7][4]
In the 16th century,Pushti Marga was founded byVallabha, a Brahmin scholar fromTelangana, who proposed that in the modern age, it is too hard to follow theJnana andKarmaMargs. He proposed Pushti Marga (Raag,Bhog andShringar used in the seva of ShriKrishna) as an alternative. A section of the Porwals converted to Pushtimarga. Those who have converted to the Pushtimarg are known as Meshri (derived fromMaheshwari)[8] or Vania.
After his sermons atŚrīmal and creation of theŚrīmali clan, householders and King Jayasen requestedŚvetāmbara Jain monkAcharya Swayamprabhasuri to visit the region ofPadmavati nearAravalli Range since similar practices ofanimal sacrifice were being performed there. He agreed to it and owing to hislabdhi andvidyā, reachedPadmavati within a period of 48 minutes the morning of when theAshvamedha Yagya was scheduled to be performed. He entered the king's court.[9][10]
Since this was a while after Swayamprabhsuri's sermons inŚrīmal,Brahmins stated that they knew of his sermons atŚrīmal and that they would not accept his ideology. Swayamprabhasuri emphasized the importance of abhāv yagya (Homa performed mentally and not physically) to preventanimal sacrifice. He further explained with the analogy that withkarma as the wood and non-violence as the sacrifice, one purifies their soul and becomes eligible formoksha. He further explained the meaning of theRatnatraya.[9][11]
Brahmins lost the ensuing debate, and the residents of 45000 households of the kingdom and King Padmasena acceptedJainism. However, as a token of respect to theBrahmins, the name of the newly established caste was decided to bePrāgvat as theBrahmins who lost werePrāgvata Brahmins. Later on, the clan came to be known asPorvāl.[9][12]
It is further stated that he consecrated a temple and an idol of the 16th TirthankaraShantinatha atPadmavati among several temples and icons he consecrated at various villages and towns surroundingPadmavati.[13]
