Parwar (Jain community)

Parwar, also spelt as Paravāra (परवार in Hindi, पौरपट्ट in Sanskrit inscriptions), is a major Jain community from the Bundelkhand region, which is largely in Madhya Pradesh, but also includes [Lalitpur District, Jhansi District of Uttar Pradesh] region of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this District Nagpur (Maharashtra) have also a very large Parwar community. There is an area in Itwari of Nagpur known as Parwar-Pura having large number of Parwar's homes and shops . Most of the Nagpur's Parwar are migrated from Sagar, Deori, and other small villages of Sagar District of MP. Parwar exclusively follow the Digambar Jain tradition. Parwar usually preferred their marriage within community. There are 12 Gotra in Parwar community. Each Gotra has 12 Moor (lineages). A marriage within the same gotra or lineage are not allowed. Traditionally a marriage within any of the 8 branches (the moor of boy or girl, mother's family, father's mother's family etc) was not permitted and hence the community was termed ashta-shakha.

A number of Jain scholars have belonged to this community, including Tarana Swami, the founder of Taran Panth and the Bhattarakas of Chanderi. Osho was born in the Samaiya section of this community. Also, Pandit Sumerchand Diwakar, Pandit Nathuram Premi, Dr Hiralal Jain, Dr Mahendrakumar Nyayacarya, Pandit Phulacandra Shastri, Pandit Hiralal Jain, Pandit Balacandra Shastri, Pandit Jaganmohanlal Shastri, Pandit Devakinandan Nayak, Swami Satyabhakta, Wardha, philosopher, founder of Satya Samaj (1899–1998) many other illustrious scholars of Jainism were born in the Parwar [also spelt as Paravara] community. The map of districts having large number of Parwar Jain in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh is shown below.

A number of inscriptions mentiong the community have been found in the region adjacent to the Betwa river, which flows on the border of MP and UP. In the older inscriptions they are called Paurapatta or Puravada. The oldest inscriptions include those found at Vidisha (948 CE), Pachrai (1065 CE), Aharji (1152, 1153), Chanderi (VS 1252,13450), Sironj (VS 1299, 1316), Narwar (VS 1319). A long inscription at Deogarh of VS 1493 mentions Lakshaman Singhai and his large family, who installed an idol of Lord Shantinath under the supervision of Bhattaraka Devendrakirti of Balatkara Gana. It is probably the first mention of the Singhai (or Sanghapati) title in the region.

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